Mobile Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing an Unregistered Machinegun

MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 57 months in prison for illegally possessing an unregistered machinegun.

According to court documents, Zukinski Marquis Tomon Spelton, 25, was arrested in December 2021 after he fled from the passenger seat of a car that Mobile police were attempting to pull over for a traffic violation. As Spelton fled from the car, officers saw the impression of a firearm concealed under his shirt. Officers chased Spelton, who jumped several fences and ran through the backyards of several houses, ultimately taking him into custody.

Along the path of Spelton’s flight, police found a Glock 9mm pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch.” The pistol also had a fully loaded 30-round extended magazine and a chambered round. A forensic DNA analyst found Spelton’s DNA on the pistol. Additionally, a firearms expert test fired the pistol, which operated as a fully automatic pistol. It is illegal under federal law for any person to possess such a machinegun without registering it in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Spelton had not registered the above-referenced machinegun at the time he possessed it.

In addition to the 57-month prison sentence, Senior United States District Judge Callie V.S. Granade ordered Spelton to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment, and will receive a mental health evaluation and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Granade ordered Spelton to pay $100 in special assessments and forfeited his pistol and ammunition to the United States.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.