Ridgeland man gets six years for converted handgun possession

Emanuelle Hargrove Jr., 25, of Ridgeland was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a machine gun in Beaufort County General Sessions Court on Jan. 8, 2026. The conviction follows a traffic stop on Lady’s Island in the early morning hours of Jan. 8, 2024, when Beaufort police discovered a Glock 31 handgun fitted with an illegal conversion device that turns a semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic weapon.

The traffic stop began shortly after 3 a.m. when an officer on patrol near Bay and Carteret streets observed a Nissan Altima with a non-functioning brake light crossing the Woods Memorial Bridge. The vehicle was pulled over on Sea Island Parkway near Whitehall Park. During the stop the officer smelled burnt marijuana and conducted a probable-cause search of the car. The modified handgun was found beneath the front passenger seat and subsequent testing identified Hargrove’s DNA on the firearm.

Circuit Court Judge Robert Bonds imposed the six-year sentence after Hargrove pleaded guilty as indicted. Trasi Campbell of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case, framed the conviction as part of an effort to remove illegal automatic weapons from circulation. “This guilty plea reflects our commitment to holding people accountable for possessing illegal automatic weapons, which pose a serious risk to public safety,” Campbell said. “People often think of ‘machine guns’ as military-style or military-grade weapons, but these days, criminals can convert a handgun to an automatic weapon with a modification that is easy to conceal and cheap to produce. That makes them especially dangerous, and we will continue to pursue these cases vigorously.”

Hargrove has no prior convictions, but he faces several pending charges from unrelated incidents, including attempted murder and possession of a stolen firearm. He is innocent of those charges unless or until proven guilty in court. The driver of the vehicle, Keianna Nichole Staple, 22, of Hilton Head Island, is charged with driving under suspension and is also presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The case highlights how routine traffic enforcement can intersect with broader public safety threats when simple equipment violations or late-night patrols lead officers to discover more serious crimes. For Allendale County residents who travel the Lowcountry or commute through Beaufort, the episode is a reminder that modified weapons capable of automatic fire can be compact, low-cost and easily concealed.

The takeaway? Keep vehicle equipment in working order, report suspicious activity, and know that prosecutors and local courts are treating illegal conversion devices as a significant public-safety priority. Our two cents? Stay alert and keep your community conversations focused on prevention and safety.