Show-Me State Times

A Kansas City, Missouri man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegal possession of firearms and possessing a machine gun. Maurquis D. Jennings, 29, was charged on August 12, 2025, with one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and one count of possessing a machine gun. His initial court appearance took place today.

According to the indictment, Jennings allegedly possessed two firearms on June 8, 2025: a Glock Model 20 Gen5 10mm fully automatic pistol and a Glock Model 30 Gen5 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The indictment states that the Glock Model 20 Gen5 had a machine gun conversion device installed, which made it fully automatic.

Machine gun conversion devices—often called “switches” or “auto sears”—convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns capable of firing multiple shots automatically with a single trigger pull. These devices are classified as machine guns under federal law whether or not they are attached to a firearm. Federal law prohibits the possession, sale, or use of such devices.

Federal law also makes it illegal for individuals convicted of felonies to possess any firearm or ammunition. Jennings has previously been convicted of robbery.

“The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence,” according to the press release.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lee’s Summit Police Department.

This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative that coordinates resources from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) programs to address violent crime and criminal organizations.