2 Norristown Men Among 14 Charged In Major Gun Trafficking Bust

NORRISTOWN, PA — A major gun trafficking organization operating throughout the greater Philadelphia area was busted recently, with 14 individuals now in custody, authorities announced on Thursday.

The group, including nine men and five teens as young as 14, illegally purchased dozens of firearms before reselling them on the streets, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said.

All told, the group sold 44 firearms around Bucks, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties, officials said. The sales mainly took place over the summer, from July 3 to Aug. 27, investigators allege. Such "straw purchases" are often made by individuals unable to legally purchase firearms, including convicted felons, domestic violence abusers, juveniles, and the mentally ill, officials said.

"We may never know the true extent of the damage from these 44 illegal guns," Montgomery County DA Kevin Steele said in announcing the charges Thursday, noting that weapons are often immediately resold after they're used in a crime. "The damage grows. It's a domino effect."

On Aug. 10, a shooting incident involving a 17-year-old took place in Norristown. When police searched the home, they said they found two weapons that had just been purchased that day by Anthony McCrary, 23, of Philadelphia. McCrary, who did not live at the residence, was coincidentally the subject of an investigation that had just begun the day before due to the "alarming number" of weapons he'd recently legally purchased around the region, police said.

By tracking detailed records kept by gun stores, investigators were able to see that McCrary was making multiple purchases a day, often of the same weapon, throughout the area. Search warrants, surveillance, cell phone analysis, and, especially, analysis of sales records helped authorities identify McCrary's network and other individuals making these sales.

Officials pointed to the importance of the Electronic Record of Sale system in tracking the suspects and making the arrests. The case drew attention from state leaders who praised the work of law enforcement.

"Our job is not over," Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. "We should keep expanding the use of electronic records and double down on this kind of targeted, data-driven, and collaborative law enforcement work..."

Thus far, six of the 44 firearms in question have been recovered, officials said: one was found during a shooting investigation in Cheltenham, one during a traffic stop in Abington, and four during various search warrants executed in Philadelphia.

In addition to McCrary, the following individuals have been arrested and charged: Demetrius Huggins, 21, Shaireese Liles, 21, Terrence Barker, 19, Clarence Codada, 18, John McDonald, 21, and Jamil Brown, 18, all of Philadelphia. In addition, Mikal Scott, 18, of Cheltenham, and Ashon Pearson, 23, of Norristown, were also taken into custody, along with four other teens, including a 17-year-old from Norristown.

Bail was set at $500,000 for McCrary, Barker, and Huggins, at $250,000 for Pearson and Brown, and $25,000 for Codada. Codada posted bail and was released, while all of the other suspects were booked at Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

Preliminary hearings for these individuals are forthcoming.