Cheltenham man sentenced for role in multi-county gun trafficking

NORRISTOWN — A Cheltenham Township man will spend at least two decades in prison on charges he engaged in gun trafficking activities involving 17 firearms as part of a corrupt organization that utilized straw purchase schemes in Montgomery, Bucks and Philadelphia counties.

Bryan Jaurice Clark Jr., 27, of the 500 block of General Patterson Drive, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court on Monday to 20 to 40 years in a state correctional facility on charges of corrupt organizations, making false statements on federal gun purchase forms, illegal sale or transfer of firearms, selling firearms to ineligible persons, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities and criminal use of a communication facility in connection with incidents that occurred between 2020 and 2023.

“What you did in participating in this criminal enterprise cannot be condoned by this court. You were the main purchaser in this enterprise,” Judge Wendy G. Rothstein addressed Clark shortly after he claimed his conduct was simply “a mistake.”

“That was no mistake. That was a choice you made 17 times to violate the law. Seventeen times you made a choice to put the public in danger. Our communities are in extreme danger as a result of these straw purchases,” Rothstein added.

Rothstein convicted Clark of the charges in May during a nonjury trial at which Clark stipulated to information provided by detectives in an affidavit of probable cause.

With the charges, prosecutors argued Clark, who did not have a criminal record that prohibited him from buying firearms, purchased 17 firearms at gun stores in Hatfield, Montgomery County, in Feasterville, Bucks County and in Philadelphia between September 2020 and April 2021. The gun trafficking network involved a total of 21 firearms, 17 of which were purchased by Clark.

The judge’s sentence included several mandatory terms sought by prosecutors to reflect the multiple gun purchases. Assistant District Attorney William Highland III and co-prosecutor Libby Hemler argued for the 20-to-40-year prison term.

“Bryan Clark was the main purchaser for this organization but he was also what I would call a broker on top of being just a purchaser. Mr. Clark was responsible for purchasing 17 of the firearms for this organization but when he then realized there were suspicions arising because of his purchases he then found others to make purchases for the organization. They would buy guns and he would immediately try to flip those guns to his customer base,” Highland said. “He knew exactly what he was doing. He put planning into this.”

Only five of the total 21 guns have been recovered during other criminal investigations in Philadelphia, Ambler and Darby and Springfield townships.

“The effects of straw purchasing are far-reaching. We don’t know where these firearms end up,” added Hemler, pointing to the fact that 16 guns connected to the organization remain on the streets and pose a danger.

Clark, who was supported in court by his parents and other relatives, apologized for his conduct, suggesting he needed cash and never meant to harm anyone.

“It was just a financial transaction. I was just trying to pay bills. I just made a mistake,” Clark told the judge.

Relatives of Clark testified he came from a loving family that taught him right from wrong and that they were shocked and disappointed to learn about his gun trafficking activities.

Defense lawyer Pietro D’Angelo argued for a sentence of 5 to 10 years in prison for Clark, essentially one mandatory term, pointing out Clark had no prior record, took responsibility and has family support.

“I don’t believe his intent was malice or anything evil,” D’Angelo argued.

A straw purchase occurs when a person with a clean background purchases firearms on behalf of another person to conceal the true ownership of the firearm. Those who are prohibited from purchasing firearms include convicted felons, domestic violence offenders, juveniles and mentally ill individuals.

The gun trafficking network was dismantled by members of the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Violent Crime Unit.

The speed and frequency of Clark’s purchases was exemplified by the fact that during one 18-day period in April 2021 Clark purchased 16 firearms, according to testimony.

“That’s an extreme number of guns. Sixteen guns in this amount of time is a totally abnormal amount,” county Detective Erick Echevarria, who supervises the Violent Crime Unit, testified.

Prosecutors alleged Clark also conspired with others to obliterate the serial numbers from the firearms.

“He knows they’re going to be used in crimes. He’s trying to conceal that he purchased them,” Echevarria testified.

The investigation began in April 2021 when a clerk at a Hatfield gun store alerted authorities that Clark had purchased four firearms under suspicious circumstances that indicated they were straw purchases. Clark told the employee “he wanted to purchase as many handguns as he can with $2,100.00,” according to the criminal complaint filed by county Detective James Kemm.

The weapons included Glock .40-caliber semiautomatic handguns and Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semiautomatic and 9mm handguns, according to court papers.

For each of the gun purchases, Clark lied on federal record of sale paperwork that he purchased the guns for himself and not for other individuals.

“The purpose of this corrupt organization was to illegally obtain and distribute numerous firearms to others. This gun trafficking organization armed their members and provided the firearms to others, some of which were precluded from legally obtaining or possessing a firearm,” Kemm wrote in the arrest affidavit. “The organization also worked in tandem to ensure that the serial numbers were removed from the firearms.”

Authorities alleged some of the guns were illegally sold or transferred to Kevin William McCloud, 33, of Gillingham Street, Philadelphia, who had a criminal history that precluded him from purchasing or possessing firearms. McCloud is awaiting an Aug. 20 jury trial on corrupt organizations and gun-related charges.

In court documents detectives alleged they uncovered text communications between Clark and McCloud that depicted photos of handguns and discussions about prices for certain guns.

A third person charged in connection with the organization, Ieisha Shakyra Williams, 23, of the 1700 block of Belfield Avenue, Philadelphia, previously was sentenced to 5 to 10 years in the State Correctional Facility at Muncy after she pleaded guilty to multiple charges including corrupt organizations and illegal sale or transfer of firearms in connection with illegally purchasing four firearms for the organization.

When detectives confronted Clark about the gun purchases in August 2022 he could not account for the location of the guns he purchased, according to court documents.

“Clark attempted to fabricate an explanation for the missing firearms but it was confirmed that the firearms were illegally purchased and transferred by Clark,” Kemm alleged.