By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

An East Frankford man who authorities suspect was lying in wait outside of a local mosque with a carload of weapons, including a loaded 20-gauge shotgun, was ordered last week to stand trial on felony weapons violations.
Police arrested Sean Bergin, 47, of the 1600 block of Haworth St., on May 30 after they stopped his vehicle on the 2200 block of Wakeling St. at about 9 p.m. and discovered that he was carrying the shotgun, in addition to more than three dozen live rounds and two knives.
Also found inside Bergin’s car were two cell phones, four cameras, several rolls of film and several processed photos of a Muslim house of worship located on the same block, authorities say. Bergin allegedly also had a photo of a police car and a note containing the license-plate numbers of several cars parked at the mosque, known as the Ansaar Allah Islamic Society.
Bergin was originally stopped by police for driving after dark without headlights. He didn’t have a valid driver’s license, either, according to Assistant District Attorney Carmella Jacquinto.
And as 15th district Officer John Cawley approached Bergin’s car, the defendant allegedly pointed the shotgun out the window toward the mosque. He later dropped the weapon upon Cawley’s orders.
Municipal Court Judge Edward Mekel ordered Bergin to stand trial on Violation of the Uniform Firearms Act (VUFA), as well as carrying a firearm on a public street. He will be arraigned in Common Pleas Court on July 30 and is being held on $75,000 bail.
Days after the arrest, police Inspector Jeremiah Daley, the commander of the Northeast Division, and mosque leaders told the Northeast Times they did not think Bergin was part of any broader conspiracy against the mosque.
“I think this guy is sick,” said Mohammad Ghorab, the amam, or spiritual leader, of the society, which had occupied a converted garage on the block for less than a year.
Although apparently acting alone, Bergin still could have posed a real threat to the mosque, Daley added.
“We don’t know what this guy was up to, but he wasn’t out there to hunt ducks,” the inspector said. “We believe Officer Cawley’s actions prevented a very serious incident.”
Ghorab also said through an interpreter that the mosque had not received any threats leading up to Bergin’s arrest.