PENSACOLA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO SELLING MACHINE GUN CONVERSION DEVICES

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA - Alaisjah Dayshawn Perkins, 22, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to receipt, possession, transfer, and making of a firearm which is not registered in the National Firearms Registration & Transfer Record and not identified by a serial number. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "Operation Take Back America was launched to devote the full might of the Department of Justice toward protecting our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and this successful prosecution delivers on that mission. Our brave state and federal law enforcement partners are on the front lines of the fight against violent criminals, and my office will continue to back up their efforts with aggressive prosecutions to keep our citizens safe."

Court documents reflect that on April 26, 2025, law enforcement officers observed posts on a Facebook profile advertising the sale of machinegun conversion devices (MCDs). Subsequently, an undercover officer began communicating with the defendant. Between April and May 2025, law enforcement conducted multiple undercover purchases of several MCDs from the defendant. Pursuant to a search warrant for the defendant's home, officers located tools and supplies for manufacturing MCDs. The defendant was arrested and a bag of 13 MCDs was located in his pocket. The MCDs were sent to the Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for technical examination, and were determined to be designed to convert AR-style firearms from semi-automatic to fully automatic.

Perkins faces up to ten years' imprisonment. If Perkins is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, such term could be followed by up to a three-year term of supervised release. Thus, if Perkins were to violate any conditions of his release, he could potentially face an additional period of incarceration related to violating his supervision.

This case was a joint investigation by Escambia County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 19, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.