Lansing Man Sentenced 83 Months for Machinegun Trafficking

Wolf Harper, a 37-year-old man from Lansing, was sentenced to 83 months in federal prison for trafficking machinegun conversion devices and possessing an illegal short-barreled rifle with a silencer. Harper sold 74 machinegun conversion devices, also known as auto sears, and a short-barreled rifle with a silencer to an undercover agent, and investigators found additional conversion devices, silencers, weapons, tactical gear, and a sophisticated firearms manufacturing workshop at his home. These conversion devices enable semiautomatic firearms to fire as fully automatic weapons, capable of shooting up to 1,000 rounds per minute, and are classified as machineguns under federal law. U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey and ATF Special Agent James Deir emphasized the dangers these devices pose, noting that street gangs and drug traffickers have increasingly used machineguns, escalating community violence and endangering innocent bystanders. Harper pleaded guilty to six counts and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering, with two years of supervised release following his prison term. Despite his defense citing financial struggles and health issues, officials highlighted Harper's disregard for public safety in trafficking these deadly weapons.