A group of seven individuals, with six hailing from Philadelphia, have been charged by prosecutors for their involvement in the purchase and sale of nearly twenty firearms, alongside their illicit drug activities.
Investigators have honed in on an apartment in North Philadelphia, where Scott Grondin, Bella Kenna, and Anthony Figueroa-Marko resided.
A group of individuals, including Emanuel Torres, Asad Sayed, Felicia McKinnell, and Christopher McNelly, caught the attention of investigators due to their questionable actions during the purchase of firearms at the Oaks Gun Show in December.
Investigators uncovered that individuals within the group engaged in the unlawful purchase and sale of 19 firearms from mid-January to late-February. Investigators have revealed that the guns were purchased by four individuals from shops in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties.
It is suspected that the firearms were acquired on behalf of Grondin, who was prohibited from legally obtaining or owning a firearm. According to investigators, Grondin, Kenna, and others proceeded to sell the firearms to individuals who were unable to legally obtain their own.
According to investigators, the practice of illegal gun trafficking involved in this case is commonly referred to as “straw purchasing.” This term describes the act of someone with a clean background purchasing firearms on behalf of another person in order to hide the true ownership of the weapons.
Authorities discovered that a certain group had been the subject of an investigation since May for their suspected involvement in the illegal sale of various drugs, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription medication. In June, undercover investigators reportedly purchased substantial amounts of methamphetamine from Grondin and Kenna.
Grondin is facing a multitude of charges, the majority of which are felonies, as prosecutors have identified them as the alleged leader of the group. Additional individuals are facing a range of charges, such as firearm and drug offenses.