Five Men Charged Following Largest Single Seizure of Machinegun Conversion Devices in the Middle District of Alabama

Montgomery, AL. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that four men are facing federal charges in connection with the largest single seizure of machinegun conversion devices (MCDs) ever recorded in the Middle District of Alabama. A fifth individual is facing related state charges. Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division, and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Hal Taylor joined Davidson in the announcement.

Machinegun conversion devices are small, often easily concealed components that illegally convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons. These devices are classified as machineguns under federal law, even if not installed on a firearm.

On April 23, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted 22-year-old Maceo Levar Edwards and 22-year-old Elliott Arjuna Turner, both of Montgomery, Alabama, charging them with the illegal possession of 53 machinegun conversion devices and the unlawful transfer of a federally regulated firearm. According to the indictment and other court records, the charges stem from an April 3, 2025, operation during which Edwards and Turner were allegedly found with the illegal devices after leaving a residence in Montgomery.

Later that day, agents made contact with 24-year-old Jemarion Fe’Qon Lausane at the same residence. Lausane was arrested on site and now faces federal charges of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On April 25, 2025, another individual connected to the investigation — 22-year-old Ke’Marcus Simmons of Selma, Alabama — was charged with the federal crime of illegal possession of a machinegun.

In a related development, Jalen Rodgers is facing state charges for the possession of machinegun conversion devices following the execution of a search warrant at his home in Repton, Alabama, on April 18, 2025. The search of Rodgers home was part of the investigation that began on April 3, 2025.

This investigation was led by the Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Unit, a multi-agency task force that includes personnel from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Montgomery Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and ATF.

An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted on all charges, Edwards, Turner, and Simmons each face up to 10 years in federal prison. Lausane faces a sentence ranging from five years to life. There is no parole in the federal system.

Assistant United States Attorney Christopher P. Moore is prosecuting the four federal cases.

These federal prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).