Indian River County deputies arrested a Vero Beach man early Monday after a traffic stop led to the discovery of a machine gun conversion device, a loaded pistol and marijuana. Rehki Jyquan Hughes, 20, faces a felony charge of possessing a bump stock and a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge.
A deputy stopped a black Dodge sedan near Americana and 90th Avenue shortly after midnight Sept. 21 after noticing the vehicle had no visible tag lights and heavily tinted windows, according to an Indian River County Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit. The deputy smelled fresh and burnt marijuana after Hughes lowered his window. Hughes told the deputy he had smoked marijuana a few hours earlier. Deputies saw what appeared to be marijuana packaging and a marijuana stem inside the vehicle.
Hughes showed deputies a photo of an expired medical marijuana card. Dispatch confirmed Hughes was on the medical marijuana registry but did not have an active order allowing him to possess marijuana, deputies said. As Hughes got out of the car, he repeatedly reached toward his pocket despite being told not to.
A metal device fell from his pocket. An ATF task force officer who responded to the scene identified the device as a machine gun conversion device, commonly called a Glock switch. The device can alter a firearm to allow automatic fire. Under Florida law, an unattached device of that kind is classified as a bump stock.
A search of the vehicle turned up a loaded FN 5.7 pistol with one round in the chamber and 19 rounds in the magazine. The gun was found in a bag Hughes had been reaching toward, according to the affidavit. Deputies also found multiple bags of marijuana, a marijuana nugget and two marijuana cigarette ends.
Hughes denied knowing about the gun or conversion device but admitted the marijuana was his. The firearm, ammunition, device and suspected marijuana were submitted into evidence.