Man, 21, charged after straw purchasing gun used in Norristown murder, DA says
NORRISTOWN, Pa. - A Norristown man is facing charges after authorities say he purchased and illegally transferred a firearm used in a deadly shooting late last month.
Sincere Burnett, 21, is facing numerous charges including unlawful transfer of a firearm, materially false statements, and firearm carried without a license, authorities announced Friday.
Montgomery County authorities say Burnett's arrest stems from the murder of Junior Pinnock in Norristown back on April 25, 2021. Around 9 p.m. that evening, police responded to Ann and Barbadoes Streets for a report of a shooting.
When officers arrived on the scene they found Pinnock suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, and he was later pronounced dead at Suburban Community Hospital. Investigators recovered four 9mm shell casings at the scene as well as a sheath, blade, and handle of a long-bladed knife.
Following an investigation, authorities found that Montez Kent and Hilton Freeman were parked in a nearby parking lot and Kent and the victim had been involved in a fight. Authorities say Kent lunged at the Pinnock with a knife before Freeman shot Pinnock multiple times.
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Freeman and Kent fled the area, but have since been arrested and charged with first-degree murder and related charges.
Detectives recently located the firearm used in the shooting, a 9mm Sarsilmaz pistol, at a national recreation area.
Investigators discovered that Burnett purchased the gun at a Montgomery County gun store on March 22, and he had also purchased three other guns. Only one of the firearms was in his possession at the time of his arrest.
Authorities say Burnett purchased the firearm under Freeman's direction, and Freeman was not legally allowed to purchase, possess, use, manufacture, sell, or transfer a firearm.
Pinnock's murder occurred just 34 days after the gun was purchased.
"We have recently arrested a number of people for straw purchasing firearms and for running gun trafficking organizations that deal in straw purchases, both of which arm criminals," said Montgomery County DA Kevin Steele. "This murder of Junior Pinnock by Hilton Freeman using a straw purchased gun shows exactly what the ramifications are of straw purchased firearms. We knew it was only a matter of time before a murder happened using a gun we could directly trace to a straw purchase. And now here we are."
Burnett was arrested by detectives at a gun store in Montgomery County, where they say he was looking at various firearms. He was arraigned and bail was set at $500,000.
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