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Edward Cordenner III, 36, of Susquehanna Avenue in Lansdale was found with a loaded assault rifle and night vision goggles in his pickup truck outside his ex-girlfriend's home in New Hanover Township at 1:21 a.m. on Feb. 21, police explained in the affidavit of probable cause.
Cordenner had recently been released from prison and had been making calls to Kristin Sweigard, 38, of Warminster to illegally purchase weapons on his behalf, police alleged in the affidavit.
He is a registered sex offender for sexually assaulting a minor in 2010, court records show. He will be on the Megan's Law registry for life.
Following his prison release after serving five years for the sexual assault (the rape charge was dropped, court records show) he was convicted multiple times of summary and misdemeanor offenses including harassment and drug-related charges.
Yet somehow he got in touch with Sweigard, while in prison, and she made straw gun purchases for him.
Multiple searches of Cordenner's home in 2023 led police to the weapons he purchased from Sweigard, the DA explained in a press release. It's not immediately clear why he wasn't arrested during those searches as weapons were found every time.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele, New Hanover Township Police Chief Jay Ciarlello, and Lansdale Police Chief Michael Trail announced the duo's arrests on Feb. 27.
Cordenner was arrested on the night of the incident outside his ex-girlfriend's home on Feb. 24 but since then multiple new charges have been added.
He has been charged with multiple felony counts of Person Not to Possess a Firearm, Firearms Not to be Carried Without a License, Prohibited Offensive Weapons, Illegal Transfer of a Firearm, Resisting Arrest, Loitering and Prowling at Night, and other firearms charges.
Cordenner was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Thomas P. Murt, who set bail at $500,000 cash, although that was lowered to $250,000 cash by Court of Common Pleas Judge Thomas M. DelRicci at a bail review hearing held on Feb. 26.
Sweigard was arrested on Feb. 23, 2024. She was charged with multiple felony counts related to the illegal purchase and sale of firearms, including Materially False Statements and Sales to Ineligible Transferee. She was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Michael P. Quinn, who set bail at $75,000 cash.
They were both remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility and have a joint preliminary hearing set before Magisterial District Judge Maurice K. Saylor at 9:15 a.m., March 5, 2024.
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