Nacogdoches County man sentenced to federal prison for machinegun violation

BEAUMONT, Texas -A Nacogdoches man has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Adolfo Cruz, 27, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a machinegun and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 22, 2025.

According to information presented in court, on April 10, 2024, local law enforcement in Lufkin conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Cruz. The officer noticed a gun case in the back seat of Cruz's vehicle and asked Cruz what was inside of the case. Cruz reached for the case and a firearm fell out. The officer removed Cruz from the vehicle and conducted a pat-down search of Cruz. During the pat-down search, the officer found a machinegun conversion device (MCD). MCDs are small mechanisms that can be attached to the rear of the slide of a firearm, converting a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machinegun. Federal law defines a machinegun as a weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.

ATF agents later obtained a search warrant for Cruz's cell phone. The cell phone contained messages to and from Cruz discussing the buying and selling of firearms, including MCDs.

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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This case was investigated by the Lufkin Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter.

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