Press Release
Charlotte Man Arrested For Possession Of A Machinegun And Possession Of A Firearm By A Felon Appears In Federal Court
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of North Carolina
The Defendant Allegedly Possessed a Firearm Affixed With a Machinegun Conversion Device Known as a “Glock Switch”
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Joshua Michael Jenkins, 20, of Charlotte, appeared in court today after he was arrested on federal charges for possession of a machinegun and possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jenkins was arrested on Thursday and his initial appearance was scheduled today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler. A grand jury returned a criminal indictment against Jenkins on November 14, 2023.
According to allegations in the indictment, on October 30, 2022, Jenkins possessed a machinegun, that being a Glock model 23, .40 caliber pistol, with an affixed machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock Switch.” The indictment further alleges that on July 26, 2022, Jenkins illegally possessed a Glock model 23, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol, knowing he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by a prison term exceeding one year.
Jenkins remains in federal custody. If convicted, he faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the charge of possession of a machinegun. The charge of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The charges against Jenkins are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, and the Huntersville Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Pack of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting 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.
Updated December 1, 2023
Topics
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Firearms Offenses
Violent Crime
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