OKLAHOMA CITY — An Edmond man is on his way to federal prison for 18 months after agents intercepted machinegun conversion devices sent to him from China resulting in a guilty plea.
Emmanuel Lopez, 21, of Edmond was sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison “for transporting machineguns without a license,” announced Robert J. Troester, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
According to public records, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Los Angeles, California, “intercepted four packages shipped from China,” said the press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
The packages contained machinegun conversion devices (MCDs) that are commonly called “switches” which were mislabeled as “auto parts,” “hardware accessories,” and “decorative ornaments” on the shipping manifest.
When installed on semi-automatic weapons, even semi-automatic handguns, MCDs, or switches convert the weapon into a fully automatic machinegun.
Possession, manufacture, sale, or transportation of these devices is illegal under federal law, carrying penalties of up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
After his arrest, Lopez was charged by a federal Grand Jury on July 2, 2024 with “transporting machineguns without a license,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Then, on November 25, 2024, Lopez pleaded guilty and “admitted he knowingly transported machineguns and that he was not licensed to do so,” said the U.S. Attorney’s office.
On March 5, 2025, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones sentenced Lopez to serve 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
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 neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case is also part of “Project Switch Off,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s local implementation of PSN. “Project Switch Off” targets illegal machinegun conversion devices to address the significant danger these illegal devices present and to remove them from the streets.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
