Drevion Evans has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing semiautomatic Glock pistols that were illegally converted to function as fully automatic machineguns, and for attempting to deliver one of those machineguns to his home, along with a pound of marijuana.
“Machinegun conversion devices, commonly known as ‘switches,’ are classified as illegal machineguns under federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This investigation and subsequent prosecution demonstrate the high priority given by our office, and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, to removing these dangerous devices from criminals.”
“One of ATF’s top priorities is to deny criminals access to firearms and protect the rights of law-abiding citizens,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “The offender illegally possessed firearms that subsequently could have been used against our citizens and our communities; ATF takes this very seriously.”
“I am glad the Chamblee Police Department was a major partner in assisting the U.S. Attorney’s Office with removing another armed and dangerous individual from the streets of our community,” said Chamblee Police Chief Michael Dieppa. “Our primary goal is to uphold justice and maintain the safety and trust of our community.”
“This arrest is only one example of the many benefits of having a valued partnership with our local, state, and federal partners,” stated Chief Mirtha V. Ramos, DeKalb County Police Department. “By working collaboratively, we will continue to reduce crime and violence in our community.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On August 15, 2022, a police officer on patrol in Chamblee, Georgia attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Drevion Evans. In response, Evans put his vehicle in reverse and attempted to flee. Evans was ultimately arrested, after which a search of his car revealed a .40 caliber pistol on the driver’s side floorboard. The pistol was loaded with an extended magazine and had been converted to fire automatically. Evans had no prior arrest history and was released from custody on a bond.
On October 20, 2023, Evans attempted to arrange the delivery of a second fully automatic pistol with an extended magazine to his home by hiring an Uber driver to collect a package from a Carroll County, Georgia store. The driver picked up the package but delivered it to the Carrollton Police Department after noticing an odor of marijuana emanating from the package. Police officers searched the package and discovered 16 one-ounce bags of marijuana and the loaded, illegally modified pistol (which had been reported stolen).
Ten days later, police officers in DeKalb County, Georgia saw Evans’s vehicle and stopped him for outstanding warrants issued by a judge in Carroll County. While detaining Evans, one of the officers observed a 9mm pistol with an extended magazine on the floorboard in front of the driver’s seat. This third firearm was also equipped with a machinegun conversion device.
Drevion Micah Evans, 24, of Lithonia, Georgia, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. to six years, six months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Evans pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of a machinegun and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on January 10, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Carrollton Police Department, Chamblee Police Department, and DeKalb County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
