Two KC Area Brothers Indicted for Possessing Machine Guns

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Two Kansas City, Mo., area men have been indicted by a federal grand jury, in separate cases, for illegally possessing machine gun conversion devices.

Demetrius Harris, also known as "Meech," 24, of Kansas City, Mo., and his brother, Darius R. Harris, also known as "D" and "D2," 22, of Raytown, Mo., were charged in two separate indictments returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Those indictments were unsealed and made public following the arrests and initial court appearances of the defendants.

The initial court appearances were held today for Demetrius Harris and on Thursday, Nov. 14, for Darius Harris.

Demetrius Harris was charged with one count of illegally possessing and transferring machine guns - an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 multi-caliber rifle with an AR-type machine gun conversion device and two AR-type machine gun conversion devices - on Jan. 24, 2024.

Darius Harris was charged with two counts of illegally possessing and transferring a Glock-type machine gun conversion device on two separate occasions, on Oct. 30, 2023, and on Nov. 9, 2023.

Machine gun conversion devices, also known as "switches" or "auto searsa," are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns that fire multiple shots automatically through a single pull of the trigger, enabling more rapid and often less accurate gunfire. Whether or not they are attached to a firearm, these devices constitute machine guns under federal law. It is therefore illegal to possess, sell, or use machine gun conversion devices.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. They were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The charges contained in these indictments are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.