Two NC men sentenced for having Glock switches

A judge sentenced two North Carolina men on Wednesday for possessing modified firearms.

Tyrese Dawson, 24, of Wilmington, will serve 13-and-a-half years in prison for having a “Glock switch” on a gun, as well as dealing fentanyl and having a gun in connection with drug dealing.

The judge also sentenced Lamika Baptist, 19, from Pitt County to six years and eight months in prison.

According to authorities, Dawson ordered ghost gun kits online, assembled and sold them for hundreds of dollars.

"This defendant was a prolific trafficker pushing out modified guns," U.S. Attorney Michael Easley said. "Modified not just to be fully automatic, but also to not have serial numbers."

Glock switches are placed on Glock handguns, making them fully automatic. Authorities said having the switch can carry a 10-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine.

When converted, the converted handgun can dump 50 rounds of ammunition in a matter of seconds, making it a big concern for law enforcement officers across the country.

“We have law enforcement officers who aren’t even carrying fully automatic weapons, trying to arrest and apprehend offenders and dangerous felons who are carrying fully automatic guns,” Easley said.

That’s what happened in 2020 in Houston where one police officer died and another was wounded while attempting to arrest a man on drug charges.

Houston police said the suspect converted the gun into a fully automatic weapon.

Easley said prosecutors asked for 12.5 years for Dawson, but the judge upped the sentence to 13.5 years.

Easley said the sentencing on Wednesday should serve as a warning for others.

"If you are carrying a machine gun and particularly if you are using it in the context of drug trafficking, you're going to face a serious sentence,” Easley said.

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, authorities recovered 5,000 Glock switches between 2017 and 2021, a nearly 600% increase from the previous five-year period.