Columbia Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Illegal Machine Gun Possession

Deshawn Anthony Harris, a 21-year-old Columbia, Missouri man, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a machine gun, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Judge Bough handed down the sentence following Harris’s guilty plea to a single count of possessing a machine gun, in which Harris acknowledged possessing a Glock-style machine gun conversion device in Boone County.

Government filings state that Harris was arrested on April 4, 2025, after being pulled over in Columbia. While searching the vehicle, officers found a firearm that had the conversion device attached and was loaded with one round in the chamber plus 19 rounds in an extended magazine.

Arrest Following Traffic Stop in Columbia

The incident began when Harris was pulled over in Columbia on April 4, 2025. Officers searching the vehicle discovered the Glock-style firearm fitted with a machine gun conversion device. The weapon was ready to fire, with a round chambered and an extended magazine holding 19 additional rounds.

Prosecution by Western District of Missouri

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer handled the prosecution for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri. The case was investigated by the Columbia Police Department working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative

The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Justice Department’s nationwide program that coordinates federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to combat violent crime. Operating through U.S. Attorneys’ offices in all 94 federal districts, the initiative emphasizes rapid federal response, strategic partnerships, and prosecuting serious, readily provable offenses to deter criminal conduct. The program is tailored to individual communities to address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As part of Operation Take Back America, it plays a central role in the Department’s commitment to making the country safe. It supports President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, providing a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety challenges facing communities.