A Charlotte man was sentenced on May 5 to serve 30 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm equipped with a machinegun conversion device known as a “Glock switch,” according to an announcement by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Shyheem Jaqun DuPont, age 24, will also be subject to three years of supervised release after his prison term.
The case underscores law enforcement’s efforts to address gun violence involving illegal firearm modifications. These devices can rapidly increase the lethality of firearms and are strictly prohibited under federal law.
“Glock switches turn a regular gun into a machine gun. They can turn a violent act into a catastrophic act in mere seconds,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “We save lives by aggressively prosecuting individuals who possess and use these illegal conversion devices.”
According to court documents, officers from the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department stopped DuPont’s vehicle on February 21, 2024, while he had multiple outstanding felony warrants. During the encounter, DuPont reversed his car twice into a marked police vehicle before officers approached and saw him holding a firearm on his lap—a black Glock Model 19 with an extended magazine and Glock switch attached. Additional firearms and ammunition were found in the vehicle along with marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
DuPont pleaded guilty on April 11, 2025, to possession of a machinegun and remains in federal custody awaiting transfer to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of facility location.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Charlotte Field Division and CMPD. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William Wiseman prosecuted the case in Charlotte.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—an initiative aimed at countering illegal immigration, dismantling criminal organizations, and reducing violent crime through coordinated efforts by the Department of Justice.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina prosecutes federal crimes—including those involving firearms—and handles civil matters across its jurisdiction that covers parts of western North Carolina including half of Great Smoky Mountains National Park; it employs nearly one hundred prosecutors and support staff who collaborate with law enforcement agencies on public safety initiatives according to the official website.
