A St. Clair Shores resident has been convicted by a federal jury on charges related to the illegal importation, possession, and transfer of machineguns, as well as failing to maintain proper records as a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL). The announcement was made by United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., alongside ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir.
Chase Farmer, 26, faced conviction after a week-long trial presided over by United States District Judge Gershwin Drain. Evidence presented at the trial revealed that Farmer obtained a license in 2020 to deal in firearms through his business, Shall Not Be Infringed LLC. However, he lacked authorization to import firearms like machineguns.
From 2020 to 2021, Farmer placed four orders on Silencer Sales—a now-defunct Russian website—for machinegun conversion devices such as Glock switches and drop-in auto sears. He used an alias and paid in Rubles to evade law enforcement detection. Although Farmer received about 30 conversion devices from Silencer Sales, only two were found during an ATF search of his home and business in 2022. He could not account for the remaining 28 devices. After roughly an hour of deliberation, the jury delivered a guilty verdict on all counts.
U.S. Attorney Gorgon remarked, "Machinegun conversion devices gravely endanger our community by turning semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machineguns. Chase Farmer sought out the ability to deal and manufacture firearms, but he flagrantly ignored his responsibility to follow the law. Farmer is responsible for putting 28 machinegun conversion devices on the street and potentially in the hands of criminals."
Special Agent in Charge James Deir added, "This wasn’t negligence – it was pure greed at its core." He further explained how Farmer misused his position as a federal firearms licensee by acquiring and distributing illegal conversion devices using fake identities and foreign currency to bypass law enforcement scrutiny.
Farmer's sentencing is scheduled for summer 2025 before Judge Drain. He faces up to ten years of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the ATF with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Princ and Sarah Alsaden.
