Texas man gets years in prison for shooting automatic pistol near Air Force base
Boston, MA - September 28: A machine gun conversion device for a Glock hand gun was in custody of the ATF Boston Bureau. The device can convert the Glock into a machine gun after the "switch" is installed. It can be made with a 3-d printer. (Photo by
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - A Texas man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison after shooting a pistol converted into a machine gun near an Air Force base.
The man also admitted to accidentally shooting his friend later that day, before ditching the gun near an apartment, federal officials said.
Texas machine gun sentencing
What we know:
Joseph Anthony Jimenez, 20, of San Antonio, was sentenced Wednesday to 40 months in prison in the Western District of Texas. Jimenez had pleaded guilty to having a stolen pistol that was converted into a machine gun, and shooting it into a field near Lackland Air Force Base in 2024.
Jimenez shot the 9mm pistol, which was equipped with a "machinegun conversion device" (MCD), into the field on two separate visits on Aug. 17, 2024. The MCD is defined as a machine gun even when not installed, the release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas, said, and is federally illegal to possess.
Jimenez reportedly admitted to shooting his friend by accident later that same day, after which he threw the gun over the fence of an apartment complex.
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He was later arrested on a state warrant at the end of that month, the release said, and was indicted on charges of possession of a machine gun and possession of an unregistered firearm in November 2024. He pleaded guilty to those charges in December 2025.
What we don't know:
The identity and condition of the friend Jiminez reportedly shot were not included in the release.
What they're saying:
"Beyond the basics of responsible gun ownership, everyone must understand the dangers of machinegun conversion devices," said U.S. Attorney Simmons. "This individual set an example of what not to do, and he should feel fortunate that the consequences of his actions were not far worse, even deadly. Thanks to the response from the JBSA Defenders, along with the subsequent investigation by local and federal authorities, Jimenez is being held accountable for his poor decisions and violations of federal law."
The Source: Information in this article comes from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas.