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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Video Shows SWAT Team Arresting Gun Trafficker Who Frequented PA Shows Video Shows SWAT Team Arresting Gun Trafficker Who Frequented PA Shows
Video Shows SWAT Team Arresting Gun Trafficker Who Frequented PA Shows Police have released the video that shows a SWAT team arresting a New Jersey man accused of trafficking guns across multiple state lines, despite being denied a permit to purchase firearms, they said. Following a five-month investigation, Wayne Bagley, 68, of South Brunswick, was arrested during a motor vehicle stop on Thursday, Feb. 29, South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka said. Video shows officers approaching Bagley in a dark blue work van before pulling up and surrounding him. "Hands up," officers can be heard yelling with their guns drawn. "Put your hands up." Once…
Ex-Con Kidnapper Gets 43 Years, No Parole, For Rape, Arson, Assault Rampage Through NJ, NY, PA Ex-Con Kidnapper Gets 43 Years, No Parole, For Rape, Arson, Assault Rampage Through NJ, NY, PA
Ex-Con Kidnapper Gets 43 Years, No Parole, For Rape, Arson, Assault Rampage Through NJ, NY, PA UPDATE: An ex-con who kidnapped and raped his ex-girlfriend in Pennsylvania, then torched a used car dealership in Paterson and rammed a stolen SUV into police cars at both ends of the George Washington Bridge was sentenced to 43 years in federal prison. Luis Figueroa, 42, first took a plea deal from the government that called for him to serve 26 years in a federal penitentiary. Then he abruptly withdrew his plea, took his chances with a trial – and lost. Federal jurors in Newark convicted Figueroa in May 2022 of kidnapping, criminal sexual abuse, illegal gun possession and assaulting…
Fentanyl Drug Dealer Leads Police To Straw Gun Purchaser In Lancaster County Fentanyl Drug Dealer Leads Police To Straw Gun Purchaser In Lancaster County
Fentanyl Drug Dealer Leads Police To Straw Gun Purchaser In Lancaster County When the police seized 548 bags of fentanyl and a Glock Model 26 9mm pistol, from a Lancaster dealer they were able to trace the weapon to the straw gun purchaser, the county district attorney announced on Thursday, January 12.   A straw gun purchaser is someone who purchases a gun for someone who is prohibited by law from possessing one or for someone who does not want their name associated with the transaction, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Alexander Rodriguez, 21 of the 600 block of Wyncroft Lane, was stopped by police near his home …
23,000 Fentanyl Doses, 30 Homemade Guns Seized In NJ Latin Kings Takedown: Feds 23,000 Fentanyl Doses, 30 Homemade Guns Seized In NJ Latin Kings Takedown: Feds
23,000 Fentanyl Doses, 30 Homemade Guns Seized In NJ Latin Kings Takedown: Feds More than 23,000 doses of fentanyl, nearly 30 homemade firearms and a host of parts designed to create fully-automatic machine guns were seized in the takedown of a drug and gun trafficking network run by New Jersey members of the Latin Kings, federal authorities announced. Nine reputed members of the ring were charged with a variety of drug and weapon offenses that include creating and selling private-made firearms (PMFs), more commonly known as “ghost guns," U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. PMFs were actually being made on 3D printers at the moment law enforcers raided one of sever…
22-Year-Old York County Man Admits To Owning 'Self-Made Guns', Oxy., Selling THC: USDOJ 22-Year-Old York County Man Admits To Owning 'Self-Made Guns', Oxy., Selling THC: USDOJ
22-Year-Old York County Man Admits To Owning 'Self-Made Guns', Oxy., Selling THC: Usdoj A 22-year-old York County man is heading to prison after he admitted to selling drugs from his home, according to a release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Waylon Hutcheson pleaded guilty on Oct. 26, 2021, to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and receipt or possession of a firearm made in violation of the National Firearms Act, according to the release.  The Red Lion man was sentenced to one year in prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses on Oct. 24, 2022, as stated in the release.  The charges stem fro…
$15K Reward Offered For Info On Five Suspects Who Robbed Suburban Philly Gun Store $15K Reward Offered For Info On Five Suspects Who Robbed Suburban Philly Gun Store
$15K Reward Offered For Info On Five Suspects Who Robbed Suburban Philly Gun Store A $15,000 reward is being offered for information that helps authorities identify five suspects who robbed a gun store in Montgomery County over the weekend. The masked group burglarized the Founding Fathers Outfitters gun shop on Ridge Pike in Lafayette Hill on Saturday, Sept. 24, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. They were all dressed in hoodies and face masks and fled the scene in a newer model dark blue four-door Kia Forte, ATF officials said. Authorities did not say how many guns were stolen or what kind they were. Anyone with information is …
‘90 Day Fiance’ Barber On US Marshals' Most Wanted For Carlisle Killing ‘90 Day Fiance’ Barber On US Marshals' Most Wanted For Carlisle Killing
‘90 Day Fiance’ Barber On US Marshals' Most Wanted For Carlisle Killing A former barber who appeared in ”90 Day Fiance” and “90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?” is still at-large over a year after he allegedly shot and killed his former boss. Michael Anthony Baltimore, 43, of Carlisle, is wanted as the prime suspect in the fatal shooting of GQ Barber Shop owner Kendell Jerome Cook, 39, of Steelton, according to police. Kendell Jerome Cook and Anthony White GQ Barber shopGoFundMe (Krystal Sara Rooduijn) For an unknown reason Baltimore came to the shop, located at 128 North Hanover Street in Carlisle, opened fire at Cook and then shot at another former barb…
GUILTY: Kidnapping Rapist Who Cancelled Plea Deal Convicted In Rampage Through PA, NJ, NY GUILTY: Kidnapping Rapist Who Cancelled Plea Deal Convicted In Rampage Through PA, NJ, NY
Guilty: Kidnapping Rapist Who Cancelled Plea Deal Convicted In Rampage Through PA, NJ, NY An ex-con who kidnapped and raped his ex-girlfriend in Pennsylvania, torched a used car dealership in Paterson and crashed a stolen SUV into police cars on either side of the George Washington Bridge rolled the dice and lost. After originally pleading guilty to several charges, Luis Figueroa, 41, withdrew his plea and took his chances with federal jurors in Newark. They ended up convicting him following a two-week trial. So now, instead of the 26-year deal that he originally accepted from the government, Figueroa could be sentenced to nearly 50 years in federal prison. The rampage had an “…
PA Constable Purchased 22 Firearms For Felon: AG PA Constable Purchased 22 Firearms For Felon: AG
PA Constable Purchased 22 Firearms For Felon: AG A Pennsylvania court constable is accused of purchasing weapons— including straw purchasing 22 guns— for a convicted felony, Attorney General Josh Shapiro. says. Sidney Snelling, 48, of Wilkes-Barre, was arrested on Thursday, April 28, by members of the Office of Attorney General’s Gun Violence Section, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Luzerne County Detective Bureau, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Agents also searched Snelling’s car and residence, seizing nine firearms, as well as ammunition and outlaw motorcycle vests.…
$10K Reward Offered In Deadly PA Apartment Explosion: ATF $10K Reward Offered In Deadly PA Apartment Explosion: ATF
$10K Reward Offered In Deadly PA Apartment Explosion: ATF A $10,000 reward has been offered in connection with a deadly apartment explosion investigation, officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives say. Shanna Carlson, 34, was killed in the explosion at her apartment building located at 327 E. Market St. in Clearfield in 2019, authorities say. Carlson "died from penetration wounds to the head and right lung due to an explosive device," WJAC reported citing Clearfield County coroner Kim Shaffer-Snyder. This is considered a bombing and a homicide according to the multiple organizations investigating it. TAKE A LO…
Feds: 'Community Guns' Smuggled Into NJ Seized, Local Man, Georgia Woman Charged Feds: 'Community Guns' Smuggled Into NJ Seized, Local Man, Georgia Woman Charged
Feds: 'Community Guns' Smuggled Into NJ Seized, Local Man, Georgia Woman Charged A trio of “community guns” were brought into New Jersey by a Garden State man and a Georgia woman, a grand jury has charged. Most used in crimes in New Jersey are smuggled in from out of state, most often from the South, after being bought or stolen, authorities say. These include “community guns,” which two or more criminals stash somewhere – in a mailbox or a garbage can, under a rock or on the tire of a car, for instance -- for instant access and quick disposal by them and others. A grand jury indictment returned in Trenton charges Marquise Peterson, 28, of Trenton, and Quaneisha Frost-…
Feds: Impatient Repeat Felon Points Police To Smuggled Gun, Drugs Feds: Impatient Repeat Felon Points Police To Smuggled Gun, Drugs
Feds: Impatient Repeat Felon Points Police To Smuggled Gun, Drugs "We can just cut the chase bro -- the gun [is] behind the couch and there's drugs in the cabinet," an impatient six-time convicted felon told police who raided his North Jersey home, federal authorities said. "That sh*t belong to me," Jabbar Pierce, 41, told officers in his Penns Grove apartment who read him his Miranda rights and then recorded his every word, according to a criminal complaint. A federal judge ordered Pierce held following a video-conferenced initial court appearance Friday afternoon in Newark on charges of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Authorities in Salem C…
Family Killed In Philadelphia House Fire Gets Support From Community Family Killed In Philadelphia House Fire Gets Support From Community
Family Killed In Philadelphia House Fire Gets Support From Community A Pennsylvania family is turning to the community for support after eight children and four adults were confirmed dead in a fire that swept through a Philadelphia rowhouse early Wednesday morning. Nearly $80,000 had been raised on a GoFundMe for the loved ones of the deceased as of Thursday afternoon. According to the page, 13 people died. Although fire officials initially reported 13 deaths, the number was later confirmed to be 12. Had the smoke alarms in the N. 23rd Street building been working properly, though, things might have turned out differently, Mayor Jim Kenney's office said…
8 Kids, 4 Adults Dead In 'Devastating' Philadelphia Fire 8 Kids, 4 Adults Dead In 'Devastating' Philadelphia Fire
8 Kids, 4 Adults Dead In 'Devastating' Philadelphia Fire Eight children and four adults were confirmed dead in a fire that swept through a Philadelphia rowhouse early Wednesday morning, city officials said. Had the smoke alarms in the N. 23 Street building been working properly, though, things might have turned out differently, Mayor Jim Kenney's office said in a news release.  “This is, without a doubt, one of the most tragic days in our city’s history,” said Kenney, the son of a firefighter, at a news conference Wednesday. “Losing so many kids is just devastating.” Fire companies arrived at 6:40 a.m. and found heavy fire coming …
Feds: Pistol-Packing Ex-Con Busted At Jersey Shore ER Claiming To Be With DEA Feds: Pistol-Packing Ex-Con Busted At Jersey Shore ER Claiming To Be With DEA
Feds: Pistol-Packing Ex-Con Busted At Jersey Shore ER Claiming To Be With DEA An ex-con was charged federally after he showed up at a Jersey Shore emergency room for treatment packing a handgun and then claimed he was DEA agent, authorities said. Staff members at Hackensack Meridian Health Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank spotted Wesley Rucker, 34, of Tinton Falls carrying the gun in his waistband, federal authorities said. “Rucker showed the security officer two identification cards in a leather bifold wallet with the Drug Enforcement Administration (”DEA”) logo embossed on the outside,” a federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives complaint on …
NJ, PA Trio Trafficked Dozens Of 'Ghost Guns,' Indictment Charges NJ, PA Trio Trafficked Dozens Of 'Ghost Guns,' Indictment Charges
NJ, PA Trio Trafficked Dozens Of 'Ghost Guns,' Indictment Charges Two Philadelphia men and one from Camden trafficked no fewer than two dozen untraceable “ghost guns” from Pennsylvania into New Jersey, a grand jury indictment alleges. Even more guns, as well as parts, large-capacity magazine and ammo, were seized during the investigation, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said Tuesday. According to the indictment returned in Trenton, Eduardo T. Lazo Jr., 26, of Camden, organized the operation and sold the illegal guns in Camden. Juan Enrique Fernandez, 29, and Ericknell Rivera-Mercado, 31, both of Philadelphia, are accused of bringing th…
10 NJ, PA Residents Charged In Federal Illegal Gun Investigation 10 NJ, PA Residents Charged In Federal Illegal Gun Investigation
10 NJ, PA Residents Charged In Federal Illegal Gun Investigation A federal crackdown on the sale and purchase of illegal guns has led to the arrest of 10 people in Pennsylvania, according to authorities.  The U.S. Attorney's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Harrisburg Police announced 10 people have been charged as a part of "Operation Scarecrow," which targeted people who are not allowed to possess weapons illegally purchasing them. These types of purchases are called straw purchases which is why "Scarecrow" was an apt name for the operation. "Taking illegal guns off the streets is a high priority of the Departme…
Feds Bust South Jersey Man With Homemade Explosives Feds Bust South Jersey Man With Homemade Explosives
Feds Bust South Jersey Man With Homemade Explosives Federal agents busted a South Jersey man with do-it-yourself explosive devices and the materials used to make them, authorities said. Among various other items, Thomas Petronglo, 63, of Vineland had a 5¾-inch diameter metal can filled with potassium perchlorate and aluminum with a fuse sticking out, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said Thursday. The mixture is commonly used in commercial fireworks displays. Honig said authorities seized several other improvised devices -- mostly plastic cylinders and cardboard tubes containing "explosive mixtures" that were wrapped in black electrica…
DA: 5 People Arrested For MontCo, Philly, Berks, Lancaster County Gun Trafficking Ring DA: 5 People Arrested For MontCo, Philly, Berks, Lancaster County Gun Trafficking Ring
DA: 5 People Arrested For MontCo, Philly, Berks, Lancaster County Gun Trafficking Ring Five Pennsylvanians were arrested for operating a straw purchase gun trafficking ring in Montgomery, Philadelphia, Berks, and Lancaster counties, authorities said Friday. Daveese Smith, 21, of Norristown; Darell Smith, 25, of Philadelphia; Maliqa Jack, 25 of Pottstown; Donaya Williams, 22, of Philadelphia; and Tanisha Allen (AKA Tanisha Smith), 42, of Norristown are accused of illegally obtaining and reselling 14 firearms, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. Some of the suspects were arrested and charged in February when DA Kevin Steele initially announced th…
FBI Called To PA Apartment After DIY Fireworks Go Wrong FBI Called To PA Apartment After DIY Fireworks Go Wrong
FBI Called To PA Apartment After DIY Fireworks Go Wrong A Mechanicsburg man is facing a weapons of mass destruction charge after a failed attempt to make fireworks, say police. Johnathan Park, 33, was arrested after he attempted to make fireworks on his bed in his apartment in 500 block of Geneva Drive, according to police. Upper Allen Township police and fire were called to the apartment complex for reports of a burn victim around 1 a.m. on Wednesday. Upon arrival crews found that Park's bed caught fire while he was attempting to making homemade fireworks. Neighborings in the complex were evacuated. Park's apartment had explosives and explo…
AG: Lehigh County Man Forced Another To Illegally Buy 29 Firearms To Support Meth Habit AG: Lehigh County Man Forced Another To Illegally Buy 29 Firearms To Support Meth Habit
AG: Lehigh County Man Forced Another To Illegally Buy 29 Firearms To Support Meth Habit A pair of Lehigh County men were arrested for their roles in the illegal straw purchases of 29 firearms in an effort to make up for the debt related to one of the man's drug use, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office announced. James Gleason, 38, of Emmaus, was instructed by Reynold Lewis, 37, of Allentown, to make straw purchases of firearms to pay back debt related to Gleason’s methamphetamine use, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said.  Agents executed a search warrant on Lewis' hotel room and vehicle on May 3, and recovered one handgun, ammunition, firearm parts, and accesso…
Harrisburg Man Gets 12 Years For Involvement In Firearm, Drug Trafficking Schemes Harrisburg Man Gets 12 Years For Involvement In Firearm, Drug Trafficking Schemes
Harrisburg Man Gets 12 Years For Involvement In Firearm, Drug Trafficking Schemes A 28-year-old Harrisburg man will serve up to 12 years in prison for charges including drug and firearm sales-- and witness tampering-- after a sentencing hearing last week in U.S. Middle District Court. Richard Earl Davis was involved in "a conspiracy in which a person would purchase guns that were ultimately sold to other persons that were prohibited from possessing them, including felons and drug dealers," Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler said. Davis was charged with aiding and abetting the purchase of firearms, witness tampering and discharging a firearm in furtherance of drug t…
Allentown Armed Gas Station Convenience Store Robber Gets 14 Years-Plus In Fed Pen Allentown Armed Gas Station Convenience Store Robber Gets 14 Years-Plus In Fed Pen
Allentown Armed Gas Station Convenience Store Robber Gets 14 Years-Plus In Fed Pen A federal judge in Philadelphia sentenced a New Jersey man to a plea-bargained 14 years and nine months in prison for robbing a gas station convenience store in Allentown with a sawed-off rifle. Brandon Garcia, 22, of Jersey City, poked one Speedway station employee with the gun as he ordered him to “get down!” while demanding cash and Newports during one of the robberies on March 28, 2017, Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said. A good Samaritan who’d pulled in for gas saw Garcia all dressed in black with his hood up and holding a gun, so he dialed 911. The citizen then fol…
Philadelphia Felon Sentenced To 14 Years Behind Bars For Gun Trafficking 3 Weeks After Sister Philadelphia Felon Sentenced To 14 Years Behind Bars For Gun Trafficking 3 Weeks After Sister
Philadelphia Felon Sentenced To 14 Years Behind Bars For Gun Trafficking 3 Weeks After Sister A Philadelphia man was sentenced to 14 years in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms as part of his family’s gun trafficking "business," authorities announced. Mario Ramirez, 33, was sentenced on multiple gun trafficking charges three weeks after his sister, Elena Ramirez was sentenced to three years in prison for the same crime, according to Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. Ramirez was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms in January 2019 when authorities recovered four of his guns that he had stored in his mother’s Philadelp…