Federal Jury Convicts Man of Illegally Possessing Machine Gun in Chicago Suburb

Federal Jury Convicts Man of Illegally Possessing Machine Gun in Chicago Suburb

CHICAGO - A federal jury has convicted a man on firearm charges for illegally possessing a machine gun in a Chicago suburb.

KEVIN DIXON, 27, of Midlothian, Ill., was found guilty April 19, 2024, of both counts against him, including one count of illegal possession of a machine gun and one count of illegal possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Each count is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall set sentencing for Sept. 10, 2024.

Evidence at the week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago revealed that Dixon illegally possessed the firearm on June 6, 2021, in his vehicle in Lansing, Ill. The firearm was a Glock handgun equipped with a "switch" device, also known as a "Glock switch," making it capable of firing in fully automatic mode. Dixon initially crashed his vehicle into another car and then sped off. The victim followed Dixon and eventually was able to block Dixon's vehicle, at which point Dixon fired several gunshots and then drove off again. Dixon then sped through a red light and collided with two vehicles before running off on foot. Law enforcement apprehended him a short time later.

The conviction was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Alfred Phillips, Chief of the Lansing, Ill. Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Illinois State Police, Illinois Secretary of State's Office, and Illinois Department of Corrections. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Totten and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Fox.

Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney's Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.