A Port Arthur man has been arrested and charged in connection with federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.

Frankie Malik Cunningham, 23, was named in a three-count indictment in the Eastern District of Texas on July 6, 2022, charging him with receipt of a firearm while under indictment, possession of a machine gun, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Cunningham was arrested on July 11, 2022 and appeared in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn on July 20, 2022, and was ordered to be detained until trial.

According to information presented in court, on May 17, 2022, law enforcement officers arrived at a Port Arthur residence where Cunningham was located to serve an outstanding felony warrant.  They received consent to search from the owner of the residence and located Cunningham in a bedroom.  In the bedroom with Cunningham, they also located two Glock pistols, a rifle with a drum magazine, a pound of suspected marijuana, and several Hydrocodone pills.  One of the pistols was outfitted with a “Glock Switch.” A Glock Switch is a device used to convert a standard, legal handgun into a fully automatic machine gun.

At the time, Cunningham was under felony indictment for possession of a controlled substance.  Federal law prohibits the possession of a firearm or ammunition while under felony indictment.

If convicted, Cunningham faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case is being investigated by the Port Arthur Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.  This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy Coleman with assistance from the Jefferson County District’s Attorney’s Office.

Original source can be found here.