BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A Bessemer man has been sentenced to the maximum penalty allowed under federal law after pleading guilty to possessing a machinegun equipped with an illegal conversion device.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama announced that Chief U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced 24-year-old De’Corlion Keshaun Robinson to 120 months, or 10 years, in federal prison.
Robinson pleaded guilty in November 2025 to possession of a machinegun.
According to court records, the charge stemmed from an Aug. 13, 2025, homicide investigation at the Lakeshore Ridge Apartments in Birmingham.
When Birmingham police officers responded to reports of a shooting, they found Robinson standing in the parking lot.
Authorities said Robinson admitted to shooting the victim, who was later found dead inside an apartment.
When officers asked where the firearm was, Robinson told them he had thrown it into nearby woods.
Investigators later recovered a Glock 10mm pistol that had been converted into a fully automatic machinegun using an illegal machinegun conversion device, commonly known as a “Glock switch.”
During an interview with investigators, Robinson admitted he purchased the firearm with the conversion device already installed and understood its capabilities.
“This maximum sentence reflects the devastating consequences of the defendant’s actions,” U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. said. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners whose dedication to justice made this prosecution possible. Together, we will continue to target those who use illegal firearms and machinegun conversion devices to threaten the safety of our communities.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Jamey Vanvliet said illegal conversion devices remain a serious public safety threat.
“Machine gun conversion devices are illegal and extremely dangerous,” Vanvliet said. “Today’s sentence underscores the collective efforts to address this public safety threat.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.