Worcester Man Had Devices That Made Machine Guns: Feds

WORCESTER, MA — A Worcester man is facing federal weapons charges after he was found with devices that could convert semiautomatic handguns to fully automatic, according to prosecutors.

Jose Rivera was arrested Tuesday at his Pilgrim Avenue home, where police found three "switches" for Glock handguns that could be used to make machine guns.

"Installation of these conversion devices is fast and simple, requires no technical expertise, and is completed by removing the polymer slide cover plate on a Glock semi-automatic pistol and replacing it with a conversion device. These devices are referred to by different names, including but not limited to switches, auto sears, convertors, conversion switches, selector switches, and conversion devices," Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms special agent Michael Finnerty wrote in court documents.

Finnerty said he obtained a search warrant for Rivera's home on Feb. 27, but did not say how authorities knew where the devices were.

Rivera was charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun. He was ordered held in jail ahead of a court hearing scheduled for Friday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts.