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Between June and August 2020, Nafez Hutchings, 22, of Upper Darby, bought 23 handguns over 12 separate transactions with several different Federal Firearms Licensees in Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties, according to Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams.
Hutchings falsely reported his address and declared on Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473 that he was the actual purchaser of the firearms when in reality he was buying them on behalf of other people, Williams said.
Before his arrest, Hutchings admitted to ATF agents that he provided a false address and falsely certified on the ATF forms that he was buying the firearms for himself, Williams said.
“Our office is doing all we can to stem the tide of violent crime in Philadelphia, including indicting and prosecuting criminals who possess firearms when they’re prohibited by law from doing so. But the efforts of law enforcement to keep guns out of the wrong hands are thwarted every time someone straw purchases a weapon like this defendant did, 23 times over,” Williams said.
“Make no mistake -- If you knowingly buy a handgun for someone else who cannot legally purchase one, and they use it to commit a crime, it is no better than if you had fired that gun yourself. And that is exactly how you will be treated by the federal authorities.”
“Knowingly buying and selling firearms without a license is a violation of federal law, and by doing so, Hutchings circumvented the laws which are designed to protect communities,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division.
“The investigation of firearms diversion from the legal to the illegal marketplace is ATF’s top priority, and we are committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to seek justice above anything.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.
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