Indiana man sentenced to federal prison for 3D printing ghost gun | whas11.com

EVANSVILLE, Indiana — A southern Indiana man will serve prison time after police found a 3D printed handgun and dozens of "glock switches" in his home, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Marquel D. Payne, 39, of Evansville, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a machinegun.

On Jan. 31, Evansville Police Department officers saw Payne in possession of a 3D printer while conducting surveillance near his residence.

Prior to witnessing him with a 3D printer, investigators had received information that Payne was manufacturing machine gun parts using the 3D printer. Police obtained search warrants for Payne's residence and other locations he controlled.

During the searches, investigators found approximately 60 plastic machine gun conversion devices, also known as "glock switches" or "auto sears." These devices can convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic machineguns.

RELATED: Gov. Holcomb signs bill making machine gun switches illegal in Indiana

Machinegun conversion devices are considered machineguns under federal law, even when not installed, and are illegal for individuals to produce, possess, or sell.

Officers also found a 9mm personally made handgun, also known as a “ghost gun” due to its lack of any traceable serial numbering, an AR-15 rifle, a 3D printer, plastic printing filament, a 3D printed firearm silencer and 9mm caliber ammunition.

The hand grip of the 9mm ghost gun was produced by Payne using a 3D printer. Other parts of the ghost gun were produced in Pennsylvania, according to authorities.

At the time of his arrest, Payne had been previously convicted of numerous felonies, including escape, carrying a handgun without a license and criminal recklessness while armed with a deadly weapon. These prior felony convictions prohibit Payne from ever again legally possessing a firearm.

“Getting illegal machinegun conversion devices off our streets is a critical public safety priority. Fully automatic weapons and untraceable ‘ghost guns’ pose a serious danger to our communities, especially when they are in the hands of people who have no lawful business possessing any firearm,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.