Police: Suspect
bought, sold guns

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

One of two men arrested by Philadelphia police last month following a home invasion in Bustleton has been linked to the illegal purchase and resale of numerous handguns locally in recent years.
Sean Kelley, 28, of the 100 block of W. Logan St. in Germantown, was charged last week with six counts of illegal transfer of firearms, unsworn falsification, tampering with records and conspiracy. He was already facing charges of robbery, assault, false imprisonment and related crimes stemming from a Nov. 28 break-in on the 2400 block of Tremont St. In the aftermath of the initial arrest, members of the Northeast Detectives firearms tracking unit conducted firearms records checks on Kelley and his alleged home invasion accomplice, Malik Hayes, 19, of the 8400 block of Williams St. in West Oak Lane.
Investigators discovered that Kelley had purchased eight handguns in a two-year period, three of which were later recovered from other people upon their arrests by Philadelphia police, Detective Thomas Boyd said. The whereabouts of the five other guns bought by Kelley are unknown.
Investigators believe that Kelley served as a "straw purchaser" for six other people who were not eligible to buy or possess handguns. Kelley allegedly re-sold the guns for $100 to $150.
Although the investigation of Kelley resulted in the new firearms charges, police have established no link between the straw purchasing activities and the home invasion on Tremont Street.
In that incident, Kelley and Hayes allegedly were among five men who forced their way at gunpoint into the apartment of a local diner chef. The invaders allegedly demanded drugs, bound the male resident to a chair, pistol whipped him and stole $2,000 cash. The victim suffered bruises to the head but was not seriously injured.
The five suspects allegedly fled when police showed up in response to a 911 call. Within minutes, police captured Kelley and Hayes on the 8900 block of Roosevelt Blvd.
Officers recovered three handguns on or near the suspects. None of the guns were among the eight weapons associated with Kelley’s alleged straw purchasing activities.
The three other alleged robbers escaped and remain at large. The victim described them as black and in their 20s or 30s. No further descriptions are available. The $2,000 has not been recovered.
Detectives continue to investigate the home invasion, as well as the straw purchasing case. According to Boyd, crooks often remove serial numbers from many illegally purchased guns so that they can’t be traced even if recovered by police. Removing the serial number from a gun is illegal. ••
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com