Federal grand jury indicts 2 Cincinnati men for possessing machineguns

CINCINNATI - A federal grand jury indicted two Cincinnati men for illegally possessing machineguns due to firearm conversion devices.

Michael Goss, 18, and Felix Burnette, 22, are each charged in separate indictments with one count of illegally possessing a machinegun. They appeared in federal court in Cincinnati this afternoon and their cases were unsealed at that time.

"The two cases announced today demonstrate our continuing commitment to bring federal firearms charges whenever we can," said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. "Public safety in Cincinnati is top priority. If you possess a firearm equipped with a Glock switch, you will be subject to federal prosecution regardless of age or criminal history."

According to their indictments and local arrest information, each of the men possessed a firearm equipped with a Glock switch device. These devices convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic firearms or machineguns.

On March 12, Goss and Burnette were arrested near the Valley Shopping Center on Reading Road. The defendants were together in a vehicle that was stopped by Cincinnati police officers for having illegal window tint.

The federal charges announced today will supersede the local ones.

Illegal possession of a machinegun is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and Cincinnati Police Interim Chief Adam Hennie announced the charges.

Special Assistant United States Attorney Allison B. Oswall from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's Office is representing the United States in these cases. Oswall was designated this spring as a special prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney's Office to help bring federal gun cases as part of the federal, state and local violent crime reduction initiative.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

# # #