Jacksonville, Florida–United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a three-count indictment charging Michael Christopher Langston (37, Jacksonville) with illegally possessing 11 firearms and a firearm silencer. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Langston that the United States intends to forfeit the firearms and ammunition traceable to the offense. Langston was arrested on June 15, 2022, in Jacksonville.
According to the indictment, on August 4, 2019, Langston knowingly possessed a machine gun, a firearm silencer, and a Glock .40 caliber firearm equipped with a machinegun conversion device. The indictment further alleges that Langston possessed 11 firearms knowing that he was an unlawful user of marijuana and anabolic steroids. He is also charged with possessing firearms after he was committed to a mental institution.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Cannizzaro and Laura Cofer Taylor. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.