TUCSON, ARIZ. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Arizona), published as received.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Dillyn Anthony Dust, 19, of Benson, Arizona, was charged by criminal complaint last week for Unlawful Possession of an Unregistered Machinegun.

The complaint alleges that, in January 2023, Special Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), were alerted about an individual named Dillyn Anthony Dust possessing two machinegun conversion devices. Machinegun conversion devices are designed to convert a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm or machinegun, with the single pull of the trigger. The devices, by themselves, are machineguns. All machineguns are required to be registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

On February 15, 2023, an undercover ATF Special Agent attempted to arrange for the purchase of two firearms from Dust. Although Dust sent the undercover agent a video of himself with numerous weapons including two Glock-type firearms with machinegun conversion devices attached, he refused to sell them to the undercover agent. On March 15, 2023, ATF executed a federal search warrant for Dust’s residence and located two machinegun conversion devices inside the residence.

ATF Special Agents examined the machinegun conversion devices at the scene and determined the devices met the definition of a machinegun requiring registration. After further investigation, the agents learned that the machinegun conversion devices were not registered to anyone, and that Dust did not have firearms registered to his name.

A conviction for Possession of an Unregistered Machinegun carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

ATF is conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Rossi, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            MJ-23-02948-N/A-MSA
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-043_Dust

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