Glenside man who bought guns linked to 5 homicides in Philadelphia arrested
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Glenside man who bought guns that have been linked to at least five homicides in Philadelphia has been arrested Montgomery County officials said Wednesday.
The arrest has stunned neighbors.
"I'm shocked. I'm pretty shocked," said Olga Long.
Inside a quiet house on Logan Avenue in Glenside is where investigators say 23-year-old Tamir Hartsock ran part of an illegal gun trafficking operation.
Hartsock allegedly bought and illegally sold at least 15 guns, according to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele.
"Gun traffickers simply don't care who they sell guns to," Steele said. "When that gun gets put into someone else's hands, that's part of what we can now track."
Investigators said every shell casing is left with finger-print type markings that are unique to the gun it was fired from.
Through a database called the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), casings from four of the guns have been linked to crimes, including a triple homicide last month in Philadelphia's Lawncrest section that left three teens dead.
Several agencies -- including Montgomery County Detective Bureau's Violent Crimes Unit (VCU), the ATF, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General's Gun Violence Task Force, Upper Dublin Township Police, Marple Township Police and Philadelphia Police – worked together to investigate Hartsock.
Through their investigation, officials learned Hartsock bought his first two guns in September 2020 and continued buying handguns through December 2022. At one point, investigators said Hartsock bought seven handguns in a four-month period.
Of those 15 guns, only four have been recovered, meaning 11 are still unaccounted for, officials said.
One of the firearms, a .40 caliber semi-automatic Glock G27, was recovered by Philadelphia police in April 2023 at the scene of a homicide on Palmetto Street.
"Why we know that this gun was involved in the homicide is that a bullet was taken from the body of one of the deceased," Steele said.
A bullet taken from a victim was entered into NIBIN, where ballistic comparison confirmed it came from the Hartsock-purchased Glock, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. The gun was also linked to a shooting two months earlier in the 3600 block of West Indian Lane.
"When people are putting these guns onto the streets, they are putting the mechanism of death -- they are putting into the hands of violent criminals -- guns that are being used in violent crimes. And they are going to be responsible for that," Steel said.
The first gun Hartsock bought, a .40 caliber semi-automatic Glock 22, was also recovered by Philadelphia police in September 2022. Police responded to the Carlisle Street area after hearing roughly 50 shots fired. Officers stopped a vehicle and took three occupants into custody, one of whom was in possession of the Glock. That person was then arrested on firearm charges.
The gun was entered into NIBIN, which connected the weapon to four violent crimes in Philadelphia, including two homicides, officials said.
Two other firearms purchased by Hartsock were also recovered. One in June 2021 during a DUI checkpoint in Philadelphia and the other in October 2022 during a traffic stop by Marple Township police.
Officials said the majority of Hartsock's guns were bought online and shipped to a federally licensed firearms dealer in Montgomery County, as required by law, where required forms and a background check was needed to complete the transaction.
"This defendant and his trafficking of firearms to violent criminals, including murderers, shows just how dangerous straw purchases are and what a danger they are to public safety," Steele said. "Gun traffickers like Hartsock are enabling violence and murder. Law enforcement at all levels—local, state and federal—are committed to partnering to stop the illegal sales of guns. And we have seen through this case that the use of the NIBIN machine and database can make a huge difference in tracking firearms and the violence committed with them."
In all, police linked guns allegedly sold on the street by Hartsock with five murders in Philadelphia.
Hartsock has been arrested and charged with unlawful sale/transfer of a firearm, conspiracy, and corrupt organization, among other charges, Steele said.
He was arraigned Wednesday and his bail was set at $500,000 cash. He is being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.