An Akron, Ohio man has been sentenced to 10 years in jail after being convicted of possessing an illegally modified Glock pistol geared up with a “swap,” a small gadget that converts a handgun from semi-automatic to totally automated hearth.
Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich introduced that 33-year-old Maurice Arnold obtained the sentence following his conviction on weapons and drug expenses. Investigators mentioned one of many Glock pistols present in his house was fitted with an unlawful swap, a tool in regards to the dimension of 1 / 4 that permits a pistol to fireplace repeatedly with a single pull of the set off.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) classifies these gadgets as machine weapons beneath federal regulation. Possession is unlawful beneath each federal and Ohio statutes. In keeping with a 2025 ATF report, regulation enforcement recoveries of Glock switches have elevated 784 p.c since 2019, with greater than 5,800 seized nationwide in 2023.
Arnold’s case started when his parole officer, who was supervising him for a 2012 felonious assault conviction, seen social media posts exhibiting him dealing with firearms. After a number of parole violations, police obtained a warrant for his arrest and searched his Akron residence, the place they recovered three firearms, together with one Glock geared up with the swap, and about 300 grams of marijuana.
Arnold was initially launched on bond however later eliminated his GPS ankle monitor and tried to flee. He was ultimately captured and convicted in September on the next expenses:
Having weapons whereas beneath incapacity (two forfeiture specs)
Illegal possession of harmful ordnance with a six-year firearm specification
Trafficking in marijuana
“Glock switches endanger everybody in our streets, and there’s no want for anybody to personal one,” mentioned Prosecutor Kolkovich. “Eradicating these instruments of mass violence from the streets and holding those that possess them accountable is certainly one of my key enforcement priorities.”
A Native Case Reflecting a Nationwide Pattern
Arnold’s case is a part of a rising nationwide difficulty surrounding Glock switches and the federal authorities’s efforts to regulate them. As beforehand reported in Glock Discontinues Dozens of Pistol Fashions Amid ‘Swap’ Controversy and Market Shift, Glock has taken vital steps to refocus its product line amid rising scrutiny from lawmakers and the media.
Whereas the corporate’s official assertion cited “future innovation and development,” many trade observers famous the timing coincides with ongoing lawsuits and political stress. A number of states, together with New Jersey and Minnesota, have alleged that Glock pistols are simply convertible to full-auto hearth utilizing small aftermarket elements or 3D-printed elements.
The ATF and DOJ have additionally ramped up enforcement towards imported and home made switches, a lot of which originate from China or on-line marketplaces. This surge in enforcement has been accompanied by sensational media protection that usually blurs the road between legal misuse and lawful firearm possession.
TTAG’s Perspective
Nobody within the accountable gun neighborhood helps unlawful conversions, however Arnold’s story checks almost each field on the “how to return to jail” guidelines.
On parole? Test. Possessing a prohibited firearm? Test. Posting it on social media for everybody, together with your parole officer, to see? Test. Chopping off your GPS ankle monitor and happening the run? That’s the legal justice equal of signing your personal warrant.
Criminals like Arnold will preserve breaking the regulation regardless of what number of Glock fashions are discontinued or what number of new bans are handed.
Extra TTAG Protection on the Glock Swap:
