Jefferson County Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Machinegun Possession

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A Jefferson County man has been sentenced for illegally possessing a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced De'Corlion Keshaun Robinson, 24, of Bessemer, Alabama, to 120 months in prison, the statutory maximum for the offense. In November 2025, Robinson pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun.

"This maximum sentence reflects the devastating consequences of the defendant's actions," said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. "We are grateful to our law enforcement partners whose dedication to justice made this prosecution possible. Together, we will continue to target those who use illegal firearms and machinegun conversion devices to threaten the safety of our communities."

"Machine gun conversion devices are illegal and extremely dangerous," said ATF SACJamey Vanvliet. "The ATF will continue to work alongside our local, state, and federal partners to disrupt individuals who, knowingly and willingly, use them to carry out violent and devasting crimes within the communities that we serve. Today's sentence underscores the collective efforts to address this public safety threat."

According to the plea agreement, on August 13, 2025, an officer with the Birmingham Police Department was dispatched to Lakeshore Ridge apartments on a report of a person shot. Upon arrival, the officer found Robinson standing in the parking lot. The officer asked Robinson if he had shot someone. Robinson admitted to shooting the victim, who was found deceased inside of an apartment. The officer asked Robinson for the location of the firearm. Robinson told the officer that he threw it into the woods. A short time later, the officer recovered a Glock 10mm pistol that had been converted to a machinegun using a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a "Glock switch," on the grounds of the apartment complex. During an interview with law enforcement, Robinson admitted that he had purchased the pistol with the machinegun conversion device already attached and that he knew the effect of it.

ATF investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.