CHICAGO — A federal investigation has led to criminal charges against an 18-year-old from Avondale accused of selling illegal machine gun conversion devices — known as Glock switches — after advertising them on Instagram, authorities said.
The teen, identified as Dakotah Malatore, is now facing serious federal firearm charges after an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent purchased the switches during a sting operation in April.
Social Media Surveillance Leads to Gun Crime Arrest
According to the criminal complaint, ATF agents had been monitoring an Instagram account named “mr.tiponurtongue” when they came across a video posted on April 22 showing two firearms — one of which appeared to be equipped with an illegal Glock switch.
The agent commented “Neeed,” to which the account responded, “U tryna cop?” Negotiations began using slang like “buttons” and “switch” to refer to the conversion devices.
Undercover Buy at 7-Eleven Parking Lot
On April 30, the undercover agent and a partner arranged to meet the seller in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven at 3600 West Belmont Avenue.
Instead of the expected seller named “Rico,” Malatore approached the agents’ car, got in the back seat, and introduced himself as Dakotah. He then allegedly sold two machine gun switches — one for a Glock and one for an AR-style pistol — for $400.
“It makes the AR go brrrr,” he told the agents, mimicking the sound of automatic gunfire.
Federal Authorities Confirm Identity
After the sale, agents ran a search through the Chicago Police Department database, which led them to a mugshot of Dakotah Malatore. His identity was further confirmed using his driver’s license photo, according to the court filing.
Facing Federal Machine Gun Charges
Malatore has been formally charged with knowingly possessing and transferring machine guns, in violation of federal law.
Glock switches are illegal under federal law and considered a serious public safety threat due to their ability to convert standard handguns into fully automatic firearms.
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