Kalamazoo Man Charged With Possessing Machine Gun, Being A Felon In Possession Of A Firearm

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced the unsealing of an indictment charging 31-year-old Juwara Jawan Compton, Jr., of Kalamazoo, with possessing a machine gun and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

          "A fully automatic firearm in the hands of a convicted felon is a dangerous and potentially deadly combination,” stated U.S. Attorney Mark A. Totten. “My office is committed to getting these weapons off of our streets and prosecuting those who possess them illegally.”

          The indictment alleges that, on September 2, 2023, Compton, a previously convicted felon, possessed a Glock .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine. A separate count charges that the same firearm also had a conversion device that made the weapon into a machine gun.

          Compton made his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Sally J. Berens on October 19, 2023. He is next due in court for a detention hearing on October 24, 2023 before United States Magistrate Phillip J. Green.

          This case was investigated by the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). AUSA Stephanie Carowan is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

          The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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