Delaware County man sentenced to up to 25 years for buying guns later used in Philly shootings (Bucks County District Attorney’s Office)
PHILADELPHIA – A Delaware County man who admitted to illegally purchasing guns later used in violent crimes in Philadelphia has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
What we know:
Tahir Zahir, 30, of Sharon Hill, was sentenced by Judge Stephen A. Corr to 12 to 25 years in state prison, followed by two years of probation.
Zahir pleaded guilty in August to multiple felony charges, including:
- Dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities
- Making false statements on firearm purchase forms
- Unlawful sales of firearms
- Sales to an ineligible transferee
- Firearm ownership – duty of other persons
- Criminal conspiracy
Prosecutors say Zahir acted as a straw purchaser, buying firearms for individuals who were legally prohibited from owning guns.
The investigation revealed that Zahir bought 14 firearms between Aug. 2018 and June 2023 from stores in Bucks, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Those purchases included six purchases from Auger Precision Firearms in Croydon and one from The Bunker Gun Shop II in Chalfont, according to the release.
Weapons linked to violent crimes
Of the 14 guns Zahir bought, five were recovered by law enforcement and directly connected to shootings and other criminal activity in Philadelphia.
Prosecutors cited one particularly serious case where a firearm purchased by Zahir was used in a Philadelphia homicide on March 31, 2020 — only 41 days after he bought it. Zahir reported the same gun stolen 42 days after the murder.
Another weapon he purchased was found in the possession of a known Philadelphia gang member.
Investigators indicated several red flags they found to be consistent with straw purchasing, including:
- Buying multiple guns in a short period of time
- Repeatedly purchasing the same model firearm
- Guns being quickly recovered from violent crimes after purchase
Prosecutors’ message
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said the sentence “sends a clear message” to gun traffickers and straw purchasers.
“We will continue to use every resource available to get illegal guns and the offenders who traffic them off our streets and out of our communities,” prosecutors said in a statement.
The investigation was led by a Middletown Township detective assigned to the Gun Violence Task Force, with assistance from Bucks County Detectives, the ATF, Montgomery County Detectives, Delaware County’s Narcotics and Gun Violence Task Force, the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, and the Philadelphia Police Department.
The Source: This information comes from the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
Crime & Public SafetyDelaware County
