Guilty Plea for Felon on Federal Supervised Release Caught Again with Machinegun

Tallahassee, Florida - J'Shawn Tikariyon Walker, 21, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal possession of a machinegun and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "I applaud the excellent investigative work by Customs and Border Protection agents to thwart this repeat offender's attempt to acquire machinegun conversion devices from China. The fact that he was already under federal supervision for a prior weapons conviction amply demonstrates that he has no intention to lead a law-abiding life and he must be incarcerated to keep our community safe."

Court documents reflect that Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package from China addressed to "Jay Walk" at the defendant's residence. When inspected, the package was found to contain three Glock machinegun conversion devices (MCDs). The defendant was on federal supervised release at the time for charges that included illegal possession of a Glock machinegun. On August 7, 2026, Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at the defendant's residence and found a Glock 19 that had been converted into a machinegun in a shoebox in the defendant's bedroom. The defendant admitted to ordering an MCD, commonly called a "Glock switch," from China, and further admitted ownership of the converted Glock machinegun found in his bedroom.

The defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms based on his prior federal felony convictions, which involved the theft of multiple firearms from gun stores and the illegal possession of a machinegun. The defendant had been sentenced to 18 months in prison and was on supervised release at the time of the instant offense.

The defendant faces up to 25 years' imprisonment.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 9, 2026, at 3:00 pm, in the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker.

The case involved an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.