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A 23-year-old man in Illinois is going to spend the next five and a half years in prison after being charged with illegally selling device used to convert Glock handguns into fully automatic machine guns. Prosecutors say Javaughn Hixson sold four of the switches, also known as “glock switches” or “auto-sears.” The devices are easily fastened to a gun and allow it to be fired continuously by pulling down on the trigger.The devices are often manufactured in China and smuggled into the country disguised as car parts, tools or screwdrivers. According to a search warrant, hundreds of switches were found in deceptively labeled packages at Los Angeles International Airport. Special Agent Carlos Canino of the ATF told NBC 7 that these switches are being sold by people with no criminal history and he would like to see tougher penalties for possessing or trafficking them. “I think they're a danger to the public and should be outlawed,” he said.Police in Memphis and elsewhere are seeing the rise of these devices, which turn semiautomatic guns into full auto weapons. The ATF is holding a demonstration for local law enforcement officers to show how the switches work.“The illegal use of these devices is a serious and dangerous threat to the community,” says Chief James Blackburn with the Memphis Police Department. He says that while laws put limits on the possession of machine guns, criminals will always find a way around them. “The glock switch is another tool being used by bad actors to commit crimes against our citizens,” he said.Federal authorities are working with law-abiding citizens to try and stop the flow of the devices. They're holding a demonstration for Memphis law enforcement and are hoping more people will call ATF to report the illegal sale or possession of these devices.Despite strict gun control laws, gangs and drug dealers are still finding ways to get these devices. https://Gunswitch.org KMOV spoke to one person in Cahokia Heights who has been arrested for allegedly shipping Glock switches from China. He faces a dozen felonies and is being held on a $2 million bond.