Marion man sentenced to nearly 10 years for multiple machine gun conversion devices

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Marion man who possessed multiple machine gun conversion devices was sentenced last week to nearly 10 years in federal prison.

Gentile Kahungu, 19, pleaded guilty Jan. 31 in U.S. District Court to one count of possession of a machine gun.

According to evidence at sentencing, police learned Kahungu had a total of 18 machine gun conversion devices, two of which were connected to firearms. During a search by Marion and Marshalltown police on June 25, 2024, Kahungu had some of the devices in his bedroom, along with a tan Glock magazine, a black Glock magazine with 31 rounds of ammunition and six machine gun conversion devices, which fit the definition of a machine gun as defined in federal law, the plea agreement stated.

At the time Kahungu had the machine gun conversion devices, he was an unlawful user of controlled substances, including marijuana, according to the plea.

During that June 2024 search, law enforcement also found his cellphone hidden in his bedroom mattress, the plea stated. It was concealed by Kahungu’s minor brother at the request of Kahungu. Kahungu also directed his brother to give law enforcement the brother’s phone when officers asked for Kahungu’s.

Kahungu’s cellphone contained photos of machine gun conversion devices, according to the plea.

When he was later arrested Oct, 29, 2024, Kahungu had additional machine gun conversion devices, along with a tan Glock firearm that had a machine gun conversion device connected to it.

Evidence also established that Kahungu’s Glock firearm was used during two shootings, one in Marshalltown and the other in Cedar Rapids.

U.S. District Chief Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Kahungu to 108 months and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Nagin and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marshalltown and Cedar Rapids police departments.

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