An Overland Park, Kansas man has pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing a fully automatic pistol. Verdell D. Mays, 30, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machinegun.
According to the plea agreement, Mays admitted that on June 28, 2025, he possessed a Glock Model 22C .40 caliber pistol that had been modified with a rear slide plate to allow automatic fire. Because of previous felony convictions—including an earlier federal conviction for being an unlawful user of a controlled substance while possessing a firearm—Mays is prohibited from owning firearms.
Federal law allows for up to 25 years in prison without parole for these offenses. The final sentence will be determined by the court after considering advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for April 2, 2026, following completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cass County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
