ROSS TOWNSHIP, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— A Monroe County man has been charged after police say a traffic stop led to the discovery of ‘straw purchases’ of guns.
On Monday, February 13 state troopers say they observed a car going over the speed limit and performed a routine stop. Troopers note that while running the plate of the vehicle they noticed it came up as a black BMW rather than white.
According to the criminal complaint, when troopers approached the car they noticed factors of criminal activity and asked for consent from the driver to search the car, which he denied. They advised him a K9 would be called in for a search of the car, troopers said.
Officials say K9 Molly indicated there were narcotics in the vehicle which lead to the driver admitting to being a convicted felon and a firearm being located in the middle console.
Troopers note that in an interview with the driver, he said he switched the license plate on the rental to conceal his travels.
In the affidavit, it says the driver told troopers he got the gun from his friend “Todd” aka “Rome’ who was identified as Jermone Burns of Weissport.
Troopers say Burns had straw-purchased approximately 8-15 firearms for him for $100 per gun, then the man would sell each gun for about $800 in New York and Pennsylvania. He told police he has been doing it since October 2021, as noted in the affidavit.
The criminal complaint states in a search through Burns’ phone they found screenshots and photos of firearms that appeared he had been selling guns to members of the ‘Bloods’.
Burns has been charged with several counts of sell or transfer of a firearm and criminal use of a communication facility, along with other related charges to the incident.
