Mobile Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Machinegun

MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegally possessing a machinegun.

According to court documents, Ty’Juan De’Andre Barnes, 21, was arrested by Mobile police during the execution of a narcotics search warrant at a house in Prichard in May 2024. Officers searched Barnes’s person and found 14 fentanyl pills in his pants pocket. Throughout the house, officers found several extended firearm magazines, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia. Barnes admitted to police that he hid a loaded .40 caliber Glock pistol in a bathroom trash can. Police recovered the Glock pistol, which was equipped with an illegal machinegun-conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch.” Barnes admitted that he knew the Glock switch converted the pistol into a fully automatic machinegun, which he claimed he needed for protection due to being the victim of a prior robbery in Prichard.

Agents seized and searched Barnes’s cell phone. In the phone, agents found numerous text messages that Barnes sent in which he discussed possessing and shooting weapons equipped with Glock switches. Barnes also texted various individuals about illegally selling Glock switches for profit.

In addition to the 18-month prison term, United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Barnes to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Barnes to pay $100 in special assessments.

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.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit justice.gov/PSN.