U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg | U.S. Department of Justice
Jacksonville, Florida – Christopher John Murchison, aged 52 from Oklahoma, has admitted guilt to two counts of making false statements in records required by a licensed firearms dealer. This was announced by United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg. Murchison could face up to 10 years in federal prison, though the date for sentencing is yet to be determined.
The plea agreement outlines that Murchison, along with Michael Sawyer and Randolph Swindle, collaborated to illegally obtain and distribute around 177 firearms. These firearms were then sold on the streets for profit. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) initiated an investigation after some of these weapons were linked to international crimes in Puerto Rico and Colombia. The probe uncovered a complex operation where Sawyer purchased guns online and sent them to Swindle, who held a federal firearms license in Bunnell, Florida.
Sawyer would prefill ATF Form 4473s using his own name as well as those of his mother and a friend. These falsified documents were given to Murchison who used them to collect the firearms from Swindle. Afterward, Murchison modified these weapons into assault-rifle-style pistols before returning them to Sawyer for street resale. Between July 2021 and February 2022, they acquired, altered, and trafficked about 177 firearms. Many have been found connected with crimes both domestically and internationally.
All participants in this scheme have been apprehended and pleaded guilty in federal court. Swindle and Sawyer each admitted guilt to one count of making false statements in records required by a licensed firearms dealer; they each face up to five years in federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that unites various levels of law enforcement with communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence while enhancing neighborhood safety. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a strategy aimed at reducing violent crime which strengthens PSN based on core principles such as fostering trust within communities, supporting community-based organizations that prevent violence proactively setting strategic enforcement priorities focused on results measurement.
