United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Savannah resident has been found guilty at trial of drug trafficking and weapons charges. 

Malik Javier McKenzie, 27, of Savannah, was convicted after a two-day trial in U.S. District Court on charges of Possession of Controlled Substances With Intent to Distribute, Possession of a Machinegun in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The convictions subject McKenzie to a statutory minimum penalty of 30 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison, followed by a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

As described at trial, McKenzie was the driver of a motor vehicle that recklessly avoided police after an attempted traffic stop. Following a crash of McKenzie’s vehicle, McKenzie led law enforcement on a foot chase that resulted in a physical struggle. A search of McKenzie’s person following the struggle revealed a Glock handgun in his pants pocket and a fanny pack containing distributable quantities of Cocaine, Fentanyl, Carfentanil, and Methamphetamine.  

Later testing by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confirmed the presence of the various controlled substances. Testimony at trial noted that Carfentanil is a more potent, and dangerous, version of Fentanyl. Testing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) revealed that the recovered handgun bore a “machinegun conversion device” (commonly referred to as a “Glock switch”) which illegally allowed the firearm to function as a machinegun in that it expelled multiple rounds of ammunition with one sustained pull of the trigger. 

McKenzie was prohibited from possessing any firearm because of previous convictions in both the U.S. District Court and the Superior Court for the Eastern Judicial Circuit of Georgia.

“Guns, drugs, and violence are unfortunately all too common tools of the drug traffickers operating in our communities,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Today’s announcement demonstrates DEA’s emphatic commitment to attacking the drug dealers responsible for the devastation.”

“I am extremely proud of our officers, investigators, and our federal partners involved in this case,” said Tracey Howard, Hinesville Chief of Police. “Due to their hard work and expertise, Mr. McKenzie is being held accountable for his actions.”

“Machinegun conversion kits are turning up more and more in our streets and at crime scenes,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “These conversion devices are illegal, dangerous, and pose a serious threat to the community. ATF is working closely with our law enforcement partners to keep these devices off our streets.” 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). 

This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.  

The case was being investigated by the ATF, DEA, and the Hinesville Police Department and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley R. Thompson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah N. Brettin.

The DEA encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.JustThinkTwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com, www.CampusDrugPrevention.gov, and www.dea.gov . For more information on fentanyl, visit DEA’s One Pill Can Kill Campaign at www.dea.gov/onepill.  The materials on this website are available for public use.

Follow DEA Atlanta on X and Instagram at @DEAATLANTADiv.

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