ATF Recovered Seven “Switches” from Ethan Carter’s Home, Including One Installed on a Pistol
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced that Ethan Carter, age 18 of Hudsonville, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for possession and transferring a machinegun. In imposing sentence, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker observed that he had “seen a lot of carnage on the street from conversion devices,” and noted that the sentence had to account for deterring not only Carter but others who might be drawn toward the same conduct.
“Selling machine gun conversion devices is like selling sticks of dynamite,” said U.S. Attorney VerHey. “We know from sad experience that it’s only a matter of time before they kill someone. That’s why we prosecute these cases no matter who we catch doing it. We don’t know for sure how many of these devices Carter sold, but he bragged about selling a hundred of them. I hope he was lying about that. But even if he transferred less than that, his conduct was incredibly dangerous to the rest of us.”
In June 2025, Carter gave a machinegun conversion device to another person. When installed on a semiautomatic gun, a machinegun conversion device, often called a “switch,” allows the weapon to shoot automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single pull of the trigger. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) executed a search warrant at Carter’s home several weeks later and found approximately six additional machinegun conversion devices, as well as a Glock pistol with a machinegun conversion device installed.
Carter pleaded guilty to one count of possession and transfer of a machinegun on February 11, 2026. Although the advisory sentencing guidelines called for 24 to 30 months, Judge Jonker granted a partial variance, weighing Carter's age among the relevant factors. In addition to the 15-month prison term, Carter will serve two years on supervised release.
“Ethan Carter chose to make a quick buck selling an illegal machine gun conversion device in another state and it almost cost him his life. He essentially knowingly risked his future when he clearly chose to possess and distribute devices that turn pistols into illegal machineguns. Those were not youthful mistakes—they were reckless decisions that threatened public safety across this nation,” said James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Detroit Field Division. “If you traffic in machinegun conversion devices, expect ATF to identify you, track you down, and hold you accountable.”
This case was investigated by ATF and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Roth and Constance Turnbull.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Western District of Michigan — U.S. Department of Justice press release.