PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A previously convicted felon from Salem was found guilty of illegally transferring a machine gun by a federal jury on Thursday, federal prosecutors announced.
The jury convicted Daniel Matthew Kittson, 61, but found him not guilty of illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, authorities said. Illegally transferring a machine gun is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, Kittson attempted to sell a Russian PPSh-41, “a machine gun capable of firing approximately 900 rounds per minute,” in December 2019. Undercover investigators contacted Kittson to buy the gun a month later, and completed a purchase on Jan. 10, 2019, authorities said.
Investigators say they found Kittson had previous felony convictions for attempted murder, first-degree manslaughter, and felon in possession of a weapon. His background made it illegal for him to possess any type of firearm.
Kittson was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2021 and arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service on May 28, 2021. He was released after his first appearance in court, but authorities say he attempted to flee from his pretrial supervision.
He was found and arrested in Crook County on Sept. 27, 2022. During his arrest, officials say he was in possession of a firearm and “small quantities of methamphetamine and heroin.”
Kittson’s sentencing is scheduled for December 2023.
