DETROIT (WWJ) - A Wayne County rapper and convicted felon was arrested and charged with a gun crime after federal authorities say he entered a Detroit night club with a Glock switch over the weekend.
The arrest of 24-year-old Inkster rapper 24Lik, whose real name is Malik Taylor, is the latest in a string of crackdowns on organized street crime among some of Detroit's most dangerous gangs, including Almighty Vice Lord Nation and Seven Mile Bloods, The Detroit News reported.
According to federal prosecutors, Taylor is a member of the Cashgang street gang and entered the Truth Gentleman's Club in the 6200 block of Eight Mile, east of Mound Road, around 1 a.m. Sunday with a loaded weapon that had been outfitted with a switch to convert the semi-automatic pistol into a machine gun.
Taylor was caught with the weapon after he was stopped and searched by security guards, according to the federal complaint.
He was relived of the weapon and when police arrived at the scene, they said Taylor was "extremely intoxicated" and uncooperative.
"In addition to resisting arrest, Taylor, while still handcuff(ed), managed to get out of a police vehicle and tried to escape," an FBI special agent wrote in the court filing via The Detroit News. "Officers were able to catch him and he continued to resist until finally being secured and arrested."
Police seized the firearm, which was outlined in court documents as a Glock 26 Gen 5 that had an orange switch attached to the rear of the slide. The firearm contained an extended magazine and was chambered with a live round.
A Glock switch is a modifier that allows a semi-automatic gun to fire without repeatedly pulling the trigger -- they are illegal unless the guns that they are installed on are possessed by someone with a federal firearms license, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said.
An investigation into Taylor led authorities to the rapper's YouTube channel, that boasts over 17,000 subscribers, and noticed the 24-year-old brandishing what appeared to be the same Glock pistol he was apprehended with in the a video for the song "Over Doin It," according to the complaint.
"Also, in this same video Taylor said that he heard the 'feds' are on him, and that 'we might have to 'sweep' the cops (while Taylor made a shooting gesture at the camera)," a federal agent wrote. "...I believe this to be a threat towards law enforcement."
He was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, Taylor faces 15 years in federal prison.
The rapper was ordered to remain jailed until a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Taylor was previously convicted of possessing counterfeit money in Shiawassee County in 2019, making it illegal for him to possess a firearm.