Man sentenced for possessing machine guns
GREYBULL (WNE) — Steven Shobert, 49, of Worland was sentenced on Aug. 28 to 18 months in prison for possession of machine guns in violation of federal law.
According to court documents, on Aug. 29, 2023, Shobert was arrested for driving under the influence. He had a holstered firearm on his hip and surrendered it to the officers. A state judge imposed bond conditions requiring Shobert to relinquish his firearms pending the DUI case.
Shobert consented to a search of his residence to gather his firearms. The search resulted in the discovery of one Glock model 17, which was equipped with a machine gun conversion device commonly called a “Glock switch.”
Law enforcement also found three AR-15 type machine gun conversion devices.
Acting U.S. Attorney Eric Heimann explained, “Machine gun conversion devices like auto sears and ‘Glock switches’ can make a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic machine gun, so they are considered machine guns under federal law. Possession of these dangerous devices is a serious crime which can result in a felony conviction and federal prison time.”
Shobert was indicted on Nov. 15, 2023 and pleaded guilty on April 11. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the 18-month prison sentence.
The crime was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the Washakie County Sheriff's Office.
This story was published on September 5, 2024.