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Prosecutors say Russell Byron Norton, 32, of Bensalem, played a key role in the Pentz organization, a drug- and weapon-trafficking ring that operated across lower Bucks County, said District Attorney Matthew Weintraub in a statement Friday, Dec. 23.
Nicholas Pentz, the suspected ringleader of the crew, was arrested on various charges in June, as Daily Voice reported.
Investigators believe Norton manufactured and sold "ghost guns" on behalf of the gang. A "ghost gun" is an illegally manufactured firearm without a serial number that can be bought and sold on the streets without being traced, according to the federal Department of Justice.
Norton was arrested Wednesday, Dec. 21 after authorities executed a pair of search warrants on his home in Bensalem and his business in Bristol, the DA said.
The name and nature of his business were not immediately clear Friday afternoon.
Detectives claimed they took 13 guns from the residence, including "a ghost gun handgun, two AR-15 type ghost guns, and other handguns, rifles, and a shotgun," they wrote.
At the business in Bristol, police said they found "18 firearms in various stages of manufacturing and one completed firearm, along with tools and items used to manufacture and build additional firearms."
A 9mm Glock handgun and about 45 baggies of "suspected heroin/fentanyl" were recovered from his car, authorities added.
Norton was booked at the Bucks County lockup on 96 charges related to his alleged role in the Pentz organization, state court records show. He remains there in lieu of a $5 million bail bond as of Friday afternoon.
“Once again, and not for the last time, our Drug Strike Force has partnered with many law enforcement agencies to take down an illegal gun runner,” DA Weintraub said.
“This great work by law enforcement has undoubtedly saved lives in our community. More to come."
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