Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
Nijel Malik Smith, aged 22, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison for the illegal possession of a machinegun. His arrest by Mobile police occurred in April 2023 following a traffic stop. Officers seized marijuana and a Glock .45 caliber pistol that had been modified with an illegal machinegun-conversion device, often called a “Glock switch,” making it fully automatic. The firearm was marked with “Gretna PD” and was reported stolen by a Louisiana law enforcement officer. Smith acknowledged possessing both the marijuana and the modified pistol, admitting awareness of the device’s function and suspecting the weapon was stolen due to its markings.
In another incident in January 2025, Smith was arrested again after a traffic stop during which marijuana and a pistol were discovered. This arrest, while he was under federal release conditions and awaiting sentencing, resulted in the revocation of his bond and the denial of credit for acceptance of responsibility.
United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer handed down the sentence and also imposed a three-year supervised release term after Smith's prison sentence, during which he will undergo drug testing and treatment. No fine was levied; however, Smith was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.
The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case. This situation is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, an initiative involving various law enforcement levels and communities to curb violent crime and gun violence.
