Columbia Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Firearm Offense

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Columbia, Mo. man was sentenced in federal court today for possession of a machine gun conversion device.

Deshawn Anthony Harris, 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 60 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Harris had previously pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing a machine gun, admitting that he possessed a Glock-style machine gun conversion device in Boone County.

According to government filings, Harris was arrested after being pulled over in Columbia on April 4, 2025. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a firearm with a machine gun conversion device attached, which was loaded with a round in the chamber and 19 rounds in an extended magazine.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Columbia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

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