Louisville Felon Sentenced to Nearly 4 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Machine Gun

Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison yesterday for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and illegal possession of a machine gun. 

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

According to court documents, on February 13, 2023, Charles Divine, 27, possessed two Glock 9-millimeter pistols and a Glock switch, which is a device that allows a semi-automatic handgun to function as an automatic. A Glock switch is defined as a machine gun under federal law. Divine was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offense. On June 30, 2020, in Oldham Circuit Court, Divine was convicted of wanton endangerment in the first degree.

Yesterday, Divine was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. 

This case was investigated by the ATF and LMPD. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl prosecuted the case.

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.

###