Woman Bought Guns For Convict Husband: Delco DA

COLLINGDALE, PA — A Philadelphia woman is facing charges after allegedly buying guns in Delaware County for her husband, who is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing guns, authorities said.

Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland said Nija Baskerville, 40, has been charged with the straw purchase and illegal transfer of three firearms that she purchased for her husband, a convicted felon.

Baskerville, of Philadelphia, is charged with three counts of felony transferring a firearm to a convicted felon, felony providing false information, felony tampering with public records, and other related offenses.

Investigation revealed that on July 26, Baskerville’s husband entered the Firing Line Gun store in Philadelphia and attempted to purchase two .40 caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic firearms, the DA's office said. A background check at the store revealed Baskerville’s husband had a felony conviction for drug trafficking, and as a result he was denied permission to purchase the firearms, according to the DA's office.

On July 29, Baskerville and her husband entered the Firing Line Gun store and Baskerville filled out the forms to purchase the same two firearms as her husband had selected to purchase three days earlier.

During Baskerville’s background check, she advised the store that she no longer wanted to purchase the firearms and she and her husband left the store.

On July 31, 2019, Baskerville went to the Suburban Armory Gun store in Collingdale and filled out the forms to purchase two .40 caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic firearms, the DA's office said.

Baskerville only had enough money to buy one gun, according to the DA's office.

Baskerville passed the background check and left the store with one of the firearms.

On Aug. 2, at 11 a.m., Baskerville went back to the store and buy the second .40 caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic firearm, the DA's office said. She again returned to the store in the afternoon, and purchased a third firearm, a .40 caliber Glock, according to the DA's office.

Then on Aug. 28, Baskerville was interviewed by law enforcement and claimed that the firearms she had purchased were stolen during the course of the burglary of her home, the DA's office said.

The DA's office said during the course of the interview, Baskerville admitted to purchasing the firearms for her husband and at the direction of her husband. She also said she had not seen the firearms since she purchased them and further admitted that her home had not been burglarized, according to the DA's office.