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The Gun Violence Task Force has recently arrested and charged 23 with gun trafficking and related offenses including two locally.
Darryl Byrd, 28, of the 2900 block of Morris Street, was charged with conspiracy, persons not to possess firearms, tampering with public records or information and unsworn falsification, according to a press release from the District Attorney’s Office. Byrd allegedly straw purchased seven handguns including three .40 caliber, two 9mm, one .45 caliber and on .357 caliber for a convicted felon. Police recovered the latter in connection to an aggravated assault.
Akiem Smith, 19, of the 1300 block of South Fourth Street, was charged with illegal transfer of firearms, persons not to possess firearms, tampering with public records or information, unsworn falsification, altering or obliterating marks of identification, firearms not to be carried without a license, carrying a firearm on a public street and conspiracy, according to a press release from the District Attorney’s Office.
Smith, who was too young to purchase a gun himself, allegedly tried to use a straw purchaser to get one for him. When that fell through, he asked his mother purchase a .45 caliber handgun for him. When agents recovered the gun, the serial number was unrecognizable.
Smith was since murdered on the 500 block of Pierce Street Monday.
Since the task force was created in December 2006, 472 arrests were made — 239 of which have been convicted thus far — and 847 firearms were seized in 1,445 investigations, according to a press release from the District Attorney’s Office.
“Every straw purchaser and gun trafficker that the Gun Violence Task Force apprehends and prosecutes is one less weapon, or more than one in many cases, that can be used to harm an innocent citizen of Philadelphia,” District Attorney Seth Williams said in a statement.
