Wolf Harper, a 37-year-old resident of Lansing, has been sentenced to 83 months in prison for possession and transfer of machineguns and possession of a short-barreled rifle. The sentencing was announced by Timothy VerHey, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.
According to authorities, Harper sold a short-barreled rifle equipped with a silencer and 74 machinegun conversion devices—also known as auto sears—to an undercover agent. These conversion devices allow semiautomatic firearms to function as fully automatic weapons, capable of firing up to 1,000 rounds per minute. Under federal law, such devices are classified as machineguns. When arrested, Harper had an additional 30 conversion devices with him and about 20 more at his home.
A search of Harper’s residence uncovered nine silencers, several weapons, tactical gear, and what law enforcement described as a sophisticated firearms manufacturing workshop set up in one bedroom.
U.S. Attorney VerHey commented on the case: “Street gangs and drug traffickers have recently escalated the danger they pose to our communities by choosing to carry machineguns rather than ordinary firearms when they can. This leads to tragic and predictable results: not only do the criminals harm and kill one another, innocent bystanders often get caught in the crossfire. Harper was willing to sell his deadly products to all buyers, no questions asked. My office will always put people like him at the top of the list of offenders we will investigate and bring to justice.”
James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Detroit Field Division stated: “Wolf Harper was motivated by money and his actions demonstrated a complete disregard for the safety of others. Machinegun conversion devices are inherently dangerous and represent a clear danger to public safety. In the hands of prolific shooters who terrorize our neighborhoods with gun violence, these devices represent tools of urban warfare. In this case, Harper selfishly put profit ahead of logic. He will have plenty of time to reflect on that while he sits in federal prison. ATF will identify and prosecute anyone who traffics in these illegal devices and work with our partners to hold them accountable.”
The investigation was conducted by ATF as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which coordinates efforts among federal, state, local, tribal law enforcement agencies and community members to reduce violent crime through locally based strategies. More information about PSN is available at www.justice.gov/psn.
