A Birmingham man has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm equipped with a machinegun conversion device, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
Jua’Ques Antonio Mitchell, 28, received the sentence from U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor after pleading guilty in April to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The plea agreement states that on May 17, 2024, Birmingham Police Department officers were conducting routine patrol when they saw several people sitting on top of a vehicle and apparently rolling a marijuana blunt. Mitchell was identified as the driver of the vehicle. During their interaction with Mitchell and others at the scene, officers found a Glock 23 .40 caliber pistol fitted with a machine gun-conversion device known as a “Glock switch,” along with a loaded magazine. The firearm had previously been reported stolen in Bessemer, Alabama on October 15, 2023.
Mitchell was arrested at the scene due to an outstanding warrant for violating probation related to his 2021 attempted murder conviction in Jefferson County.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives collaborated with the Birmingham Police Department during the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Keown, Sr., prosecuted the case.
“U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona announced today’s sentencing.”
