A Philadelphia man will serve 12 ½ to 30 years in state prison for his central role in a large-scale “straw purchasing” operation that funneled 29 handguns to prohibited individuals, including at least one convicted felon. Some of the firearms were later recovered at crime scenes.
Anthony Jackson, 28, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a host of charges stemming from his illicit activities, which included obtaining two firearms from a gun shop in Warminster. Following his plea, Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey L. Finley handed down the significant sentence.
Jackson’s guilty pleas covered numerous counts, including dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, providing materially false written statements for firearm purchases, penalties for the sale of firearms, firearm ownership by prohibited persons, sales to ineligible transferees, and multiple counts of criminal conspiracy.
An extensive investigation by Bucks County Detectives uncovered Jackson’s scheme, which ran from October 22, 2021, to May 17, 2024. Jackson was formally charged on November 12.
The investigation revealed that five firearms initially purchased by Jackson were later recovered by police in separate incidents—four in Pennsylvania and one in Camden County, New Jersey. A review of Jackson’s purchase history confirmed he bought 29 handguns from various dealers across Bucks and Philadelphia counties over a three-year period.
Notably, one of the guns Jackson purchased from The Bunker Gun Shop in Warminster on February 26, 2024, was recovered by Philadelphia police on April 17, 2024, in the possession of a convicted felon legally prohibited from owning a firearm. Investigators highlighted a “time to crime” of only 51 days between Jackson’s purchase and the gun’s recovery at a crime scene, citing this as a strong indicator of illegal trafficking.
Authorities detailed Jackson’s purchasing patterns:
- October 22, 2021 – December 30, 2021: Jackson purchased 10 handguns from Lock’s Philadelphia Gun Exchange, Firing Line Inc., Delia’s Gun Shop, and Philadelphia Training Academy. Three of these handguns were later recovered at crime scenes in Philadelphia and Camden County, New Jersey.
- January 6, 2022 – December 14, 2022: Jackson acquired seven 9mm handguns, often within a day of each other, from Delaware Valley Sports Center, Philadelphia Training Academy, Delia’s Gun Shop, and Frank’s Gun Shop & Shooting Range.
- February 21, 2023 – November 8, 2023: Jackson purchased eight 9mm handguns from Delia’s Gun Shop and Philadelphia Training Academy. One of these guns was recovered during a traffic stop in Philadelphia.
- February 25, 2024 – May 12, 2024: Jackson bought two 9mm handguns from Delia’s Gun Shop and two 9mm handguns from The Bunker Gun Shop in Warminster. One of the guns purchased in Bucks County was recovered in Philadelphia in the hands of a wanted felon.
The investigation also revealed that Jackson attempted to purchase a 30th gun on May 17, 2024, from Delia’s Gun Shop but did not complete the transaction.
Jackson never reported any of the guns stolen. He admitted to purchasing them for $400 to $500, primarily from Delia’s Gun Shop, and then reselling them for $800 to $900. The investigation confirmed that Jackson purchased these firearms for others due to his clean background, enabling individuals legally prohibited from buying guns to obtain them.
This case was investigated by Detectives with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force, the Philadelphia Police Department and the Camden County Police Department. Deputy District Attorney Thomas C. Gannon led the prosecution.
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