In a significant development from Norfolk, a Virginia Beach resident received a four-year prison term yesterday for his involvement in an illegal arms operation. The individual, identified as 36-year-old John Patrick Gordon Dane, was found guilty of importing machineguns and silencers into the country and distributing them via Facebook Marketplace.
Investigations revealed that Dane had been sourcing parts for firearms from clandestine online markets. These components included Glock switches, or auto-sears, which transform semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons. The alteration allows the modified gun to discharge multiple rounds with a single trigger pull, thereby classifying it as a machinegun under U.S. law. Dane’s inventory also encompassed silencers, which he similarly procured from the dark web. The shipments were cleverly concealed, bypassing customs with misleading package descriptions and were delivered directly to Dane’s home.
The case took a turn on January 10, 2023, when federal and local law enforcement, including agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and officers from the Virginia Beach Police Department, executed a search warrant at Dane’s residence. The search led them to a shed on Dane’s property, which he had converted into a workshop for assembling and modifying weapons. The operation resulted in the confiscation of 17 firearms, among them an AR-15 rifle modified for automatic firing and a Glock pistol equipped with a high-capacity magazine and a switch for automatic fire. The haul also included several “ghost guns” — firearms made without serial numbers, making them difficult to trace.
Dane’s criminal record, which includes a felony conviction in Virginia in 2012, added to the gravity of his latest offenses. The successful prosecution was the result of collaborative efforts by Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; Craig Kailimai, ATF’s Washington Field Division; Derek W. Gordon, Homeland Security Investigations in Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of the Virginia Beach Police Department. U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes handed down the sentence.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle led the legal proceedings against Dane, marking another stride in the fight against gun violence under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). This federal initiative aims to curb violent crime and gun-related offenses through a collaborative approach involving law enforcement agencies and community organizations. Since its reinforcement on May 26, 2021, by the Department of Justice, PSN has been pivotal in deploying a comprehensive strategy to make communities safer by promoting trust, supporting violence prevention at the community level, focusing on strategic enforcement, and evaluating the impact of these measures.