HARRISBURG– Attorney General Michelle Henry announced today that collaborative enforcement efforts between the Office of Attorney General and Bucks County investigators have resulted in a serial straw purchaser being jailed for at least 10 years.
Frederick Cornelius Brown, Jr. was convicted at trial in March of 34 straw purchasing-related offenses, and this week, was sentenced in Bucks County Court to 10 to 20 years in state prison.
A joint investigation between the OAG’s Gun Violence Task Force and Bucks County authorities revealed that Brown had been buying firearms in multiple states, falsifying records during the purchases, then trafficked the guns — some of which were later involved in other crimes.
“Every gun that is illegally purchased and trafficked is a potential threat to public safety, as far too often, straw purchases fuel much of the gun violence that plagues Pennsylvania communities,” Attorney General Henry said. “My office’s Gun Violence Task Force is committed to removing those guns from the streets. Through collaboration with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, we made Pennsylvania a safer place with this conviction and significant prison sentence.”
“Mr. Brown broke the firearms laws here in Bucks County. He found out at trial that we are committed to make good on our promise to crack down on lawless purchases of firearms like his, and others,” Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub said. “As I have said before, we have made crime gun investigations and prosecutions our priority this term. More to come.”