Texarkana man sentenced to federal prison in the Eastern District of Texas for possessing firearm equipped with an illegal Glock-switch (DOJ)

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

Jakeem Butler, 25, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a machinegun and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III on July 20, 2026.

According to information presented in court, on December 31, 2024, Butler was stopped for a traffic violation in Texarkana. During the stop, officers detected the strong odor of marijuana leading to a search of the vehicle. During the search, officers located a firearm equipped with an illegal machinegun conversion device, also commonly referred to as a Glock-switch. Machinegun conversion devices 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.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Texarkana, Texas, Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Richards.

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