Man Had 'Switch' Devices To Turn Guns Into Machine Guns: Attorney

CHICAGO — A 24-year-old man from Chicago has been indicted on federal firearm charges, accused of illegally possessing a "switch" device used for converting semi-automatic pistols into machine guns, according to the State's Attorney's Office.

Kalil Warner is also accused of transporting the switch devices on five separate occasions. Warner pleaded not guilty to all five counts on Monday and will be back in court on June 15.

When installed properly, a switch attaches to the end of a regular handgun and allows the gun to shoot more than one bullet with each pull of the trigger, essentially making the weapon a machine gun. Full-automatic guns are illegal to own in Illinois outside of law enforcement.

"Switch devices pose a dangerous threat to public safety and have no place on the streets of Chicago," said U.S. Attorney Lausch. "Federal law enforcement will act swiftly to neutralize the threat posed by illegal machine guns and keep our communities safe."

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives aided in the indictment.

The Northern District of Illinois sponsors Project Guardian and Project Safe Neighborhoods to mitigate violent crime, particularly firearm offenses.