[Dallas News] At least three North Texans are among multiple people nationwide who are accused of possessing a small and inexpensive device — typically available online from China — that can turn an ordinary pistol into a dangerous and illegal machine gun, according to federal court records.China? China helping criminals make illegal guns?
When Karo Khudanyan,
Armenian name?
24, was pulled over in Arlington for speeding in May, police found that his Glock 19 handgun had been altered to become fully automatic, allowing for continuous fire with a single pull of the trigger, according to a federal complaint. The pistol also had a high-capacity magazine with 22 rounds, the complaint says. Khudanyan has previous convictions in state court for reckless discharge of a firearm and marijuana possession, court records show.
A sterling member of society. A criminal with an illegal firearm.
Khudanyan, of Grand Prairie, said he had bought the "converter switch," which attaches to the rear of the pistol, from a Chinese website, court records show. He pleaded guilty in federal court in Fort Worth to a charge of possession of an unregistered firearm and is awaiting sentencing.
Police in various states say they are increasingly finding the converter switches on handguns. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives thinks thousands of the devices have been imported into the U.S. from China and in many cases are winding up in the hands of criminals.
An ATF spokesman told CNN in 2019 that getting them off the streets was a "high priority." The devices, which are not manufactured by Glock, typically cost under $100 each and are often mislabeled as something else when they are shipped from China.
From China, you say? Did Hunter get his rake?
The switches do for pistols much the same thing "bump stocks" do for rifles.
Making more efficient use of waste gases.
| If they’re well made, anyway. I wouldn’t bet on that if they came from a website in China. |
Another case involved a Las Vegas man who federal authorities say used a 3-D printer to make the Glock conversion switches.
Justin Pham, 30, made his first appearance in a Nevada federal court in September on one count of illegal possession of a machine gun and two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm. The indictment said he possessed three Glock semiautomatics that he had modified to fire as fully automatic weapons.
Police had received an anonymous tip that Pham was planning to use the converted guns in a mass shooting, court records say. Authorities told a judge in October that Pham had died in custody. No details were provided.30 years old? Must have been COVID-19.