Port Arthur man guilty of federal machine gun possession charge; sentencing to come – Port Arthur News

Port Arthur Police Department officers and federal partners arrived May 17 at a home in the 3600 block of 40th Street where Frankie Malik Cunningham was to serve an outstanding warrant.

The landlord authorized authorities to search the residence and located Cunningham in a bedroom. Also in the bedroom, according to federal prosecutors, were two Glock pistols, a rifle with a drum magazine, a pound of suspected marijuana and several hydrocodone pills.

One of the guns was fitted with a “Glock Switch,” which is a device used to convert a standard legal handgun into a fully automatic machine gun, according to U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston.

Cunningham was under felony indictment at the time for possession of a controlled substance, and federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition while indicted. for felony.

Frankie Cunningham

A federal grand jury indicted Cunningham on July 6.

The Port Arthur Police Department has previously described Cunningham as a known gang member in public statements.

Cunningham pleaded guilty Thursday to federal offenses in the Eastern District of Texas to possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm in pursuit of a felony drug trafficking.

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.

He faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled following the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the US Probation Board.

Special Assistant to the U.S. Attorney Tommy Coleman, with assistance from the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, is prosecuting the case.

Port Arthur Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the US Marshals Service and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office are involved in the investigation.