A man from Burlington, Kentucky, Juan Velazquez-Rodriguez, has been sentenced to 85 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for illegal possession of a machine gun. This legal decision follows an investigation that began in January 2024 after Rodriguez attempted to sell a machine gun conversion device (MCD) to a convicted felon who had been an informant for law enforcement. During a search of Rodriguez's home, authorities found an MCD without a serial number in his dresser. Rodriguez admitted knowledge that the device was meant to convert a firearm into a machine gun.
Further investigation into Rodriguez's activities included examination of his social media and cell phone communications, which revealed discussions with another individual regarding 3D printing of firearm parts. Rodriguez continued to communicate from jail, instructing a contact to remove evidence related to 3D printing from an apartment. He also attempted to sell additional MCDs, detailing that these devices could convert Glock handguns or AR-15 rifles to fully automatic weapons.
According to federal law, Rodriguez will serve at least 85 percent of his sentence. Following his release, he will spend three years under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office. The sentencing was announced by Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Rana Saoud of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and Les Hill, Boone County Sheriff.
The investigation was conducted through the collaboration of Homeland Security Investigations and the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel King leading the prosecution. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a national initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through community cooperation, strategic law enforcement, and sustained efforts toward crime prevention.
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