Grant County Man Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of .50 Caliber Machine Gun

EUGENE, Ore. – On Wednesday, July 26, 2017, U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken sentenced Michael Ray Emry, 55, of John Day, Oregon, to 30 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. Emry had previously pleaded guilty on January 23, 2017 to unlawfully possessing a fully automatic .50 caliber machine gun that was not registered to him.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 6, 2016, federal agents executed a search warrant on Emry’s trailer in John Day and recovered a Browning M2 .50 caliber machine gun with an obliterated serial number. Emry told agents that the firearm was fully automatic and could fire between 550 and 650 rounds per minute, that he had stolen it from a man in Idaho and that he had removed the serial number prior to bringing it to Oregon.

"I applaud federal and state law enforcement officers for their swift and decisive action in removing a very dangerous stolen weapon from the community," said Billy J. Williams, United States Attorney for the District of Oregon. "Transporting stolen weapons is a serious crime and will be met with equally serious consequences."

"I appreciate the partnership with ATF and OSP in this investigation," said Loren Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. "The people's representatives pass laws to keep our communities safe. Mr. Emry broke those laws and as a consequence, he will spend time in federal prison."

The case was investigated by the FBI in collaboration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Oregon State Police (OSP), and was prosecuted by Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.