Brooklyn Park Man, 24, Indicted For Illegally Possessing Pistol Altered To Be Fully Automatic
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities man is facing federal charges after being found earlier this month in possession of a pistol that had been modified into a machinegun.
The U.S. Attorney's Office District of Minnesota said Thursday that 24-year-old Markyse Maurice Wells, of Brooklyn Park, was indicted on charges of illegal possession of a machinegun and illegal possession of a firearm as a felon.
According to prosecutors, the charges stem from a traffic stop on March 15 in Robbinsdale. Wells allegedly ran from officers when he was asked to step out of the black Chevrolet Suburban he was driving. After a short chase, police arrested Wells after they found him hiding in the bathroom of a nearby gas station.
Inside his car, officers found a pistol with an extended magazine. The gun had been modified with an auto sear, also known as a "switch," which converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon.
According to federal officials, Wells has a prior felony conviction in Hennepin County and is prohibited from possessing guns or ammunition.