Skip to content

Port Arthur Man Guilty of Glock Switch Violations

BEAUMONT – A Port Arthur man has pleaded guilty to federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.

Frankie Malik Cunningham, 23, pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Cunningham entered his guilty plea today before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.

According to information presented in court, on May 17, 2022, law enforcement officers arrived at a Port Arthur residence where Cunningham was located to serve an outstanding felony warrant.  They received consent to search from the owner of the residence and located Cunningham in a bedroom.  In the bedroom with Cunningham, they also located two Glock pistols, a rifle with a drum magazine, a pound of suspected marijuana, and several Hydrocodone pills.  One of the pistols was outfitted with a “Glock Switch.” A Glock Switch is a device used to convert a standard, legal handgun into a fully automatic machine gun.

At the time, Cunningham was under felony indictment for possession of a controlled substance.  Federal law prohibits the possession of a firearm or ammunition while under felony indictment.

Cunningham was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 6, 2022.  He faces up to 15 years in federal prison.  The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case is being investigated by the Port Arthur Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.  This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy Coleman with assistance from the Jefferson County District’s Attorney’s Office.

 

 

Davilyn Walston

Public Affairs Officer/Law Enforcement Coordinator

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Eastern District of Texas

Leave a Comment