5 charged in gun trafficking ring in Bucks, Montgomery Counties
ABINGTON, Pa. (CBS) -- A 20-year-old man, along with his two brothers, are behind bars, charged with running a gun trafficking ring in Montgomery and Bucks Counties.
It was an illegal operation involving straw gun purchasing, and right now, five men are now facing serious charges.
Authorities say this is cellphone video showing 20-year-old Clayton Robinson of Glenside using a power tool to destroy serial numbers on a gun, making it untraceable.
Officials announced Robinson's arrest during a news conference Thursday, saying it's one of the strongest pieces of evidence in an investigation that began last year.
"Thank God for stupid criminals," Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub said. "Criminals that like to show off."
Officials with @AbingtonPolice, @BucksDa and @MontcopaDA have made several arrests in connection with a gun trafficking organization. Three men were straw purchasing guns and selling them for drugs and money to three other men. Of the 34 illegally obtained guns, 6 were recovered. pic.twitter.com/t0TM18Rmnx
— Madeleine Wright (@MWrightReports) November 3, 2022
"This was made because he's letting his customers know that he's taking the serial numbers off of these guns to put them into the operations," Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said, "and other things with the gun trafficking organization."
It was an organization with multiple players.
According to authorities, Maurice Baker, Brett Portner and Joseph Lynch III straw purchased 34 guns, then sold them to three men in exchange for drugs and money.
Authorities say Clayton and his brothers, Julian and Kenneth Robinson, then sold the guns on the street.
"People providing criminals guns is dangerous to our communities," Steele said. "It's dangerous to our region. I think we're all very cognizant of the level of carnage that is going on in an adjoining county here."
Authorities have recovered six of the 34 weapons illegally purchased guns, many of them found during traffic stops.
"Just because we haven't tied any of these to homicides, there's no doubt if they're not out there doing this work, that one of these guns would have been responsible for taking the life of somebody," Chief Patrick Malloy said, "because they're not putting these on the street for good reasons."
While five men were arrested, there is still one man at large, Joseph Lynch from Carrollton, Georgia.
Contact the police if you have any information.