A Boston man has been sentenced for the illegal sale of machinegun conversion devices. Elijah Navarro, 26, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. This sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper on April 10. Navarro had previously pleaded guilty in December 2023 to engaging in firearm manufacturing or dealing without a license and transferring or possessing a machinegun.
Navarro, alongside co-defendant Michael Wilkerson, was arrested and charged in February 2023. In a transaction that began in January 2023, Navarro agreed to sell 12 machinegun conversion devices for $1,700. He met with a buyer twice, initially selling two devices for $400 on January 19, and the remaining ten for $1,300 on January 25, out of Wilkerson's residence.
Subsequent searches in February 2023 revealed a cache of ammunition at Navarro’s residence. In Wilkerson's home, authorities found two 3-D printers, additional manufacturing materials, machinegun conversion devices, a ballistic vest, and firearms and ammunition, including magazines. Neither Navarro nor Wilkerson has licenses to import, manufacture, deal, or possess firearms.
Wilkerson received a sentence of 20 months in prison in April 2024, complemented by two years of supervised release.
"It is crucial we enforce laws deterring illegal firearm trade," stated United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. The case was jointly announced by James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, and Boston Police Commissioner Michael A. Cox. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit.