An Oklahoma man has admitted guilt to two charges related to false statements on records as a licensed firearms dealer. This involved a complex trafficking operation in Florida, where he illegally converted and sold 177 firearms, misclassifying them as assault rifle-style pistols for sale.
Christopher John Murchison, 52, could face up to 10 years in federal prison, with a sentencing date still to be determined.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) reports that Murchison, Michael Sawyer, and Randolph Swindle collaborated to illegally traffic around 177 firearms.
Authorities uncovered a complex operation involving Sawyer buying firearms online and sending them to Swindle, a licensed federal firearms dealer in Bunnell, Florida.
Authorities reported that upon the arrival of the firearms, Sawyer completed ATF Form 4473s using his name, his mother’s name, and his friend’s name. He subsequently provided these altered documents to Murchison, who utilized them to acquire the firearms from Swindle.
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Authorities reported that Murchison modified the firearms into pistol variants resembling assault rifles, which were subsequently handed back to Sawyer for street sales.
Authorities reported that from July 2021 to February 2022, the group acquired, altered, and distributed around 177 firearms.
A significant number of the seized firearms are connected to criminal activities both in Puerto Rico and Colombia, on a national and international scale.
Three people have been taken into custody and have admitted their guilt. Swindle and Sawyer have admitted guilt to a single charge of providing false information on records, potentially facing up to five years in federal prison.