A 24-year-old Orlando man is facing up to a decade in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing unregistered machine guns.
On Friday, July 26, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that Marcelo Manuel Maysonet has pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered National Firearms Act weapons, which includes a machine gun and over a dozen machine gun conversion devices.
A machine gun conversion device is an illegal conversion device that converts a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic one. Under the National Firearms Act, a machine gun conversion device is classified as a machine gun.
According to court records, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) executed a search warrant at Maysonet’s residence.
During the search, law enforcement officers discovered a 5.56 caliber AR-style pistol with a machine gun conversion device installed. In addition, they seized a total of 15 machine gun conversion devices from the home.
None of the seized items were registered to Maysonet in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law.
As part of the plea agreement, Maysonet has agreed to forfeit the pistol containing the machine gun conversion device, along with the 15 additional machine gun conversion devices.
Maysonet faces a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
This case was investigated by OCSO and ATF, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
Additionally, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence.