Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Member of the Minneapolis Lows Gang Sentenced to Prison for Possession of a Machine Gun
MINNEAPOLIS — A Brooklyn Center man has been sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in April 2023, law enforcement began investigating members of the Minneapolis Lows, a street gang that engages in drug trafficking, firearm possession, and acts of violence. On June 29, 2023, law enforcement conducted a search of a residence belonging to Marquez Demar Hill-Turnipseed, 21, a member of the Lows. As a result of the search, law enforcement recovered a loaded .45 Glock semi-automatic pistol with an attached auto-sear, also known as a switch; a conversion device that turns a handgun into a fully automatic machinegun. Law enforcement also recovered from the residence a loaded ghost gun.
On Oct. 4, 2023, Hill-Turnipseed pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a machine gun. He was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery.
This case is the result of investigations conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigations, Minnesota Department of Corrections, and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez prosecuted the case.
###