Recent arrests in Guilford County have led to multiple weapons seizures. Among them were pistols converted into machine guns. They’re known as switches — semiautomatic weapons made fully automatic by a small, illegal device that attaches to a Glock pistol slide.

In April, four switches were seized during a narcotics bust in Greensboro. Earlier this month, two more were recovered in High Point following arrests in connection with a weekend shooting.

Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers says the altered handguns present unique challenges.

"Well, they're dangerous first thing, especially when they're in the hands of people who don't know how to use them," he says. "Those guns, the recoil when they're fired, those rounds are going somewhere. So, they're not necessarily going right into the location they're shooting at. They're just spreading."

Rogers says state penalties for possession aren’t enough to curb the spread of the illegal firearms. For that reason, he says his department relies on federal agencies for help with prosecutions. If convicted, they face up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.