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Philadelphia man sentenced for owning 20 machine guns with counterfeit parts

A crime scene.
MattGush/Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to nearly 80 months in prison without parole for possession of 20 semi-automatic machine guns.

The weapons had counterfeit parts which enabled them to fire 1,200 rounds a minute.


Ayende Alvarado, 40, has been convicted for multiple firearm offenses including possession of a machine gun.

Investigators say In 2019, customs and border protection agents at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York intercepted a package from China addressed to Alvarado's home.

The package contained 20 counterfeit Glock auto-switches, which can project more than a thousand rounds with one trigger pull.

Authorities obtained a search warrant for Alvarado's home in North Philadelphia near West Indiana Avenue and North 7th Street. That's where they found numerous guns and ammunition, including the Glock auto-switches manufactured in China.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program meant to deter violent crime and make neighborhoods safer. It was renewed by the Department of Justice in 2017.