Two residents of Memphis, Tennessee, Jermaine Brown, age 19, and Alvin McGee, age 23, have been sentenced to federal prison for possessing machineguns. Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren announced the sentences. The incident leading to their arrest occurred on July 10, 2023, when Memphis Police Department officers noticed Brown and McGee driving a stolen Hyundai Sonata through the Kensington Manor apartment complex. The police attempted to stop the vehicle, which subsequently crashed into a dumpster after Brown and McGee exited the moving vehicle.
Jermaine Brown was found with a Glock .40 caliber pistol equipped with a Machinegun Conversion Device, commonly known as a “switch,” and loaded with 17 rounds. He discarded the weapon during a brief foot pursuit. Alvin McGee possessed a Radical Firearms AR-15 style .223 caliber rifle with approximately 60 rounds and a “drop-in auto sear,” a device that converts the rifle into a machinegun. McGee was quickly apprehended by officers.
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Both men were indicted in December 2023 for possession of machineguns. Jermaine Brown pled guilty on July 12, 2024, before Senior United States District Judge Jon Phipps McCalla and received a 27-month federal prison sentence on November 8, 2024, followed by three years of supervised release. Alvin McGee pled guilty on October 18, 2024, and was sentenced on January 24, 2025, to 41 months in federal prison, also followed by three years of supervised release. The federal system does not allow for parole.
The Memphis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner prosecuted the case, with Acting United States Attorney Fondren expressing gratitude to the law enforcement partners involved.
For further details, the Media Relations Team can be contacted at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Updates and news from the U.S. Attorney’s Office can be followed on their Facebook page or Twitter at @WDTNNews.
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