LINCOLN, Neb -- A 37-year-old man was sentenced to three years in prison after authorities in North Platte discovered that he had a modified machine gun during a traffic stop.

Acting U.S. Attorney Steven Russell announced that 37-year-old Jose Rodriguez-Medina was sentenced at the end of May in federal court in Lincoln for possession of a machine gun. 

Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Medina to 36 months in prison. After his sentence he will serve a three year term of supervised release.

On March 9, 2021, Nebraska State Patrol stopped Medina for traffic violation in North Platte. The trooper reported detecting the odor of marijuana and conducted a probable cause of search. The trooper found 13 grams marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Medina alerted the trooper of a Glock 21 that was in the trunk. The gun was modified to be fully automatic by utilizing a Glock "switch". The "switch" converts any Glock pistol into a fully automatic weapon.