Philadelphia man arrested for illegal straw purchases of 16 guns, authorities say
Deon Hudson, 25, is facing charges connected to illegal straw purchases of several firearms. (Bucks County District Attorneys Office)
PHILADELPHIA - Detectives from multiple agencies have announced the arrest of a Philadelphia man accused of illegally purchasing guns from various firearm stores in Pennsylvania.
The investigation was a joint operation involving the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, the Office of Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to authorities, 25-year-old Deon Lamont Hudson of Philadelphia was arrested on Friday.
He was charged with 39 counts of unlawful sale or transfer of a firearm and conspiracy to commit the unlawful sale or transfer of a firearm, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office announced.
Investigators say Hudson purchased 16 firearms at 8 different gun stores across Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia and Delaware counties between August 2020 and November 2021.
According to authorities, he would then illegally transfer the purchased guns to others who cannot legally purchase firearms.
Two of the guns were recovered on teenagers within 50 days of their purchase date, according to police.
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Additionally, one of the guns was linked to two shooting incidents in Philadelphia, authorities say.
Investigators were able to develop their case against Hudson after data showed multiple purchases of the same make, model and caliber of gun within days and weeks of each other, police say.
"By using data and intelligence facilitated by our Track & Trace program, this joint investigation linked two of the guns straw purchased by the defendant to at least two shooting incidents in Philadelphia," Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. "Purchasing a gun for someone who isn’t legally able to carry one is a crime that often leads to shootings and murders. This case shows how guns travel illegally across county lines and end up being used in violent crimes in Philadelphia."
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