AG: Man charged after stash house hiding guns, drugs discovered above North Philadelphia daycare
Philadelphia police
PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia man has been charged in connection to a trafficking operation that led to the seizure of drugs and weapons.
According to Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry, 36-year-old Justin Pearcy was charged with multiple felony counts of illegal possession of firearms and possession with intent to deliver controlled substances.
Officials say the charges relate to search warrants executed by the AG's office on Thursday. Officers from the Office of the Attorney General were joined by members of the Gun Violence Task Force and Bureau of Narcotics Investigation.
According to the AG's Office, investigators executed the warrants on a vehicle on Pulaski Avenue and at a home on Hunting Park Avenue in the North Philadelphia section of the city.
Authorities say the evidence indicates the residence, which sits above a daycare, was a stash house for drugs and weapons trafficking.
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"Drug traffickers often protect their trade with guns and this case is just another example of that," Henry said. "More concerning is the fact that a daycare was in the same building."
Officials say investigators seized "large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and marijuana."
The drugs have a street value of more than $350,000, according to authorities.
Police say more than $33,000 in cash was also recovered from the home.
After seizing drugs, agents found multiple assault-style rifles, extended magazines and ammunition, law enforcement authorities say.
"This arrest, firearms seizure, and dismantling of a drug trafficking operation serves as a stark reminder of the dangerous nexus between narcotics and firearms. We will not waver in our commitment to protect the people that live, work, and play in our great city," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said.