guns

Trafficking Ring Moved Nearly 300 Guns From Ga. to Philly, Prosecutors Say

Between June and December 2020, the Georgia defendants allegedly bought guns almost daily at stores like Academy Sports, Adventure Outdoors and a string of pawn shops, then trafficked them to Pennsylvania

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An Atlanta rapper is one of 11 people facing federal charges in connection with an alleged straw-purchasing scheme that trafficked hundreds of guns from Georgia to Philadelphia.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives traced nearly 300 firearms purchased in Georgia from dozens of gun retailers to Fredrick Norman — aka “Slowkey Fred” — and three other suspects, after some were found at crime scenes and in the possession of convicted felons in Philadelphia, according to records and interviews with federal law enforcement.

In an interview with ATF agents in 2020, one of the suspects, Brianna Walker, admitted to buying 50 to 60 guns in order to sell them without a dealer’s license, according to a search warrant affidavit — a violation of federal law. Norman allegedly admitted to buying more than 100, according to federal records.

The federal investigation expanded to include 11 suspects in Georgia and Pennsylvania, all of whom face a conspiracy charge. Kenneth Burgos, 23, and Edwin Burgos, 29 — brothers accused of brokering sales in Pennsylvania — are also charged with dealing firearms without a license, officials said.

As of Friday, there was no attorney listed for nine defendants named in the indictment, most of whom court records listed as in federal custody pending arraignment and who could not be reached for comment. A lawyer for Edwin Burgos declined to comment. A lawyer for another defendant, Roselmy Rodriguez, did not respond to requests for comment. Both Burgos and Rodriguez have pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

Read the full story on NBCNews.com here

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