Crime & Safety
3 Twin Cities Men Admit To Selling Machineguns On SnapChat
An undercover agent infiltrated a SnapChat group used to advertise and sell machineguns, authorities said.
ST. PAUL, MN — Three Twin Cities men have been sentenced to federal prison for operating a social media-based machinegun distribution ring, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced Wednesday.
Rafael Carter Wesley, 19, Kyrees Darius Johnson, 22, and Avont Akira Drayton, 21, were convicted of one count of unlawful possession of machineguns.
- Johnson was sentenced to 95 months in prison on Tuesday
- Wesley was sentenced to 14 months in prison on July 10
- Drayton was sentenced to 24 months in prison in April
In March 2023, investigators learned of a Snapchat group called "BLICCS&STICCS3."
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Johnson, Wesley, and Drayton used the group to facilitate the trafficking of machineguns, firearms, and controlled substances in the Twin Cities metro area.
Agents obtained screenshots and videos of several individuals in the group selling "switches" or "auto sears," devices that convert a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic machinegun.
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Such devices are classified as machineguns under federal law.
On March 20, 2023, an undercover agent posted a picture of a prop firearm to the BLICCS&STICCS3 group. Wesley reached out to the undercover officer and asked if he wanted to trade the firearm for a Glock switch, according to authorities.
Wesley was selling Glock switches for $700 for two or $900 for three, investigators said.
The undercover officer agreed to purchase three switches for $900 and would pay an extra $100 if Wesley drove up to St. Cloud to deliver the switches, according to authorities.
On March 27, 2023, Wesley met the undercover officer in St. Cloud and sold him three switches for $1,000, prosecutors said.
The investigation continued, during which Johnson posted images of "large quantities" of guns, switches, and blue fentanyl pills to SnapCaht, according to authorities.
Between March and June 2023, officers said they conducted six controlled buys with multiple members of the BLICCS&STICCS3 group, with sales taking place in Eagan, Minneapolis, and St. Paul.
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