BUNNELL, Fla. – An Oklahoma man pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements on records as a licensed firearms dealer involving a sophisticated trafficking scheme in Florida, illegally converting and selling 177 firearms, and classifying them as assault rifle-style pistols to sell.
Christopher John Murchison, 52, faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison, although a sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
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According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Murchison, along with Michael Sawyer and Randolph Swindle, aided and abetted each other to illegally traffic approximately 177 firearms.
Authorities discovered a sophisticated scheme in which Sawyer purchased firearms online and shipped them to Swindle, a federal firearms licensee in Bunnell, Florida.
Officials said when the firearms arrived, Sawyer prefilled ATF Form 4473s using his, his mother’s, and his friend’s names. He then gave these falsified forms to Murchison, who used them to get the firearms from Swindle.
Investigators said Murchison then rebuilt the firearms into assault rifle-style pistols, which were returned to Sawyer for resale on the streets.
Officials said Between July 2021 and Feb. 2022, the group purchased, modified, and trafficked approximately 177 firearms.
Many of the recovered firearms are linked to crimes nationally and internationally in Puerto Rico and Colombia.
All three individuals involved have been arrested and have pleaded guilty. Swindle and Sawyer each pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements on records and face a maximum of five years in federal prison.