NORRISTOWN — A Philadelphia man conceded that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to convict him of carrying out a straw purchase scheme involving nine guns he purchased from a West Norriton Township gun shop and that he did so with the intent to illegally transfer them to others.
Quron Hydie Carter, 30, of the 7300 block of Sommers Road, pleaded no contest in Montgomery County Court to making false statements on federal firearms purchase forms and illegal sale or transfer of firearms in connection with gun purchases he made at Treeline Sports Inc. in West Norriton between April and June of 2023.
A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is an admission that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to convict him of the charges.
Under state law, a no-contest plea is treated as a conviction.
As he was escorted from the courtroom by sheriff’s deputies after entering the plea, Carter told a reporter, “I’m innocent. I feel like I’m being racially profiled.” Carter is Black.
Quron Carter (Photo by Carl Hessler Jr. – MediaNews Group)
Judge Wendy G. Rothstein will sentence Carter later this year after a presentence investigation that reviews his background is completed. Carter remains in jail while awaiting sentencing.
Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Alane McLaughlin intends to seek a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison for Carter.
“What he did is so dangerous, and he is a danger to the community, and so he needs to serve time for that,” McLaughlin said, adding a prison term would show others that “if you do this in Montgomery County, you are looking at a lengthy jail sentence.”
According to court documents, only three of the nine guns purchased by Carter were recovered during other investigations in Philadelphia, including two hidden in a stairwell at a Philadelphia residence during an unrelated narcotics investigation.
That leaves six guns still on the streets.
“These guns are still out there on the street and could pop up in any circumstance, including a violent crime. What he did is really dangerous,” McLaughlin alleged.
Defense lawyer Kamryn Regan Randall represented Carter during the court proceedings.
Quron Carter is escorted by sheriff’s deputies from a Montgomery County courtroom after his plea hearing. (Photo by Carl Hessler Jr. – MediaNews Group)
The investigation was conducted by detectives from the Montgomery County Detective Bureau’s Violent Crime Unit. The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force, the Philadelphia Police Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted in the investigation into the illegal gun transfers.
Detectives reviewed the record of sale documents that indicated Carter purchased nine firearms and conducted one attempted firearm purchase over a 60-day period between April 8 and June 15, 2023, at Treeline Sports, which is located in the 1400 block of West Main Street, according to a criminal complaint filed by county Detective Richard Hoffner.
Detectives alleged they found straw purchase indicators during the purchases.
“Based upon my training, knowledge and experience, a sizeable amount of firearms procured within a short amount of time is an indicator of a person conducting straw purchases,” Hoffner alleged, pointing out the three firearms recovered by law enforcement during other investigations had not been reported stolen by Carter.
“When a firearm is recovered by law enforcement not in possession of the owner and it has not been reported stolen, it is indicative of an illegal transfer and straw purchasing,” Hoffner added.
Carter’s repeated purchases of the same make, model and caliber of firearms is also an indicator of straw purchasing, detectives alleged.
The guns included a Taurus .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol, a Diamondback .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol and multiple other 9mm semiautomatic pistols.
When he filled out the federal firearms purchase forms, Carter allegedly lied and claimed he was the actual buyer and was not acquiring the firearms on behalf of others.
Carter’s criminal history did not preclude him from purchasing firearms.
“Quron Hydie Carter’s intent was to illegally obtain and distribute numerous firearms to others,” said Hoffner, alleging Carter made false statements on sale records so he could illegally transfer the guns to others. “I know the objective of such behavior is to circumvent law enforcement investigations into violent crimes, in turn concealing the true end recipient of the firearm.”