Reckless driver arrested with homemade machine gun
South Beloit Police say one of the firearms had been converted into an automatic weapon.
Early on Saturday, July 5, 2025, half an hour after Independence Day had ended, South Beloit Police officers noticed a reckless driver headed eastbound on Shirland Avenue into South Beloit. He was driving more than 60 MPH, twice the speed limit allowed in most of South Beloit. Police says he was "dangerously passing and overtaking other vehicles on the roadway."
When police tried to stop him, he "immediately attempted to evade and flee from South Beloit Police officers... until the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed near the intersection of Harrison Ave. and White Ave. in Beloit Wisconsin."
With the assistance of Beloit Police officers, South Beloit Police arrested the driver and secured the passenger. Both people were taken to a local hospital because of injuries from the crash, assisted by the Beloit Fire Department.
Inside the vehicle, police say they found and seized "two un-serialized and partially 3D printed firearms, one of which was converted with a 3D printed switch to convert it to an automatic weapon (machine gun)." A police photo shows what looks like a hose clamp holding the gun together.
The driver was identified as Michael Orel Harrison Joseph III from the Beloit area. He had just turned 21 on Tuesday. Another Beloit man with the same name, now 44, was arrested in 2016 after a search of his residence found illegal firearms and drugs.
The Winnebago County States Attorney’s Office charged Michael O. Joseph III:
- 2 counts of Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Loaded Firearm without a FOID
- 2 counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm without a Serial Number
- 1 count of Reckless Driving
- 1 count of Aggravated Fleeing to Elude
- 1 count of Driving while being Unlicensed
Michael O. Joseph's injuries were apparently not serious. Within a few hours, he had been released from the hospital and booked into Rock County Jail in Janesville (ID Number 185554) where he remained in custody on Saturday, July 5, 2025 on "related, but separate charges."
Friends and relatives can register for video visits at icsolutions.com. They can have a video chat with him from anywhere using the "ICS Mobile" iPhone app or the Google Play app store for the "ICS Mobile" Android app. But both apps have very low ratings. Or they can have free video visitation at the Rock County Jail’s visitation center, 200 East US Highway 14, Janesville, WI 53545 using the The Visitor™ video terminals.
