Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that Christopher John Murchison, aged 52 from Oklahoma, has pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements in records required by a licensed firearms dealer. Murchison could face up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Murchison collaborated with Michael Sawyer and Randolph Swindle to illegally acquire and traffic around 177 firearms, which were sold on the streets for profit. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) initiated an investigation into the firearm trafficking operation after several firearms were linked to international crimes in Puerto Rico and Colombia. The investigation uncovered a sophisticated scheme where Sawyer purchased firearms online and shipped them to Swindle, a federal firearms licensee in Bunnell, Florida.
Upon arrival of the firearms, Sawyer prefilled ATF Form 4473s using his name along with those of his mother and a friend. These falsified forms were given to Murchison, who used them to retrieve the firearms from Swindle. Murchison then rebuilt these firearms into assault-rifle-style pistols before returning them to Sawyer for street resale. Between July 2021 and February 2022, the group was involved in purchasing, modifying, and trafficking approximately 177 firearms. Many have since been recovered in connection with crimes both nationally and internationally.
All individuals implicated in this scheme have been arrested and have pleaded guilty in federal court. Swindle and Sawyer each pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements in records required by a licensed firearms dealer; they face up to five years in federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that unites all levels of law enforcement with communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence while enhancing neighborhood safety. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on core principles such as fostering trust within communities, supporting community-based violence prevention organizations, setting focused enforcement priorities, and measuring results.