Kansas City, Missouri – A routine traffic stop in Kansas City turned into a federal gun case after officers found two Glock handguns that authorities say had been converted into fully automatic weapons.
The discovery ultimately led to charges against 21-year-old Dominic M. Miller, with laboratory testing and later DNA analysis becoming key pieces of the federal investigation.
Miller was charged in a two-count federal criminal complaint filed Sept. 5, 2026. He is accused of being a felon in possession of firearms and possessing machine guns in connection with an incident on July 24.
According to the Department of Justice, uniformed Kansas City, Missouri Police Department officers were patrolling near Martin Luther King Boulevard and Prospect Avenue when they noticed a vehicle displaying an improper license plate.
Read also: Kansas City firefighters face renewed conduct standards aimed at protecting public trust
Officers stopped the vehicle and contacted Miller, who was driving, along with two passengers. A computer records check showed that Miller had an active warrant from Kansas, and officers arrested him.
Police then searched the vehicle and found two Glock handguns beneath the passenger-side floorboard, according to the affidavit. Both firearms were fitted with machine gun conversion devices commonly called “switches.”
Read also: Engineer behind $350 million streetcar extension appointed Kansas City Public Works director
Such devices allow a semi-automatic firearm to operate as a fully automatic weapon. Laboratory testing later determined that both guns were capable of functioning as fully automatic machine guns, authorities said.
The investigation continued after the July traffic stop. On Sept. 3, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department crime laboratory identified genetic information on one of the firearms that was consistent with Miller’s DNA, according to federal court documents.
Read also: Long-awaited Luminary Park moves toward construction above Interstate 670 in downtown Kansas City
Authorities also noted Miller’s previous felony conviction for Unlawful Use of a Weapon in Jackson County, Missouri, in Case Number 2416-CR000871-01. That prior conviction forms part of the basis for the federal felon-in-possession charge.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Smith is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal initiative that brings law enforcement agencies and communities together in efforts to reduce violent crime and gun violence. The program’s current strategy emphasizes community trust, violence prevention organizations, focused enforcement and measuring results.
The charges contained in a criminal complaint are accusations. Miller is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.