Straw gun buy leads to 10 years in jail

Posted by Press Release on December 2, 2016

District Attorney Jack Whelan announced yesterday James Cimabue, 26, of Chester Heights, was sentenced five-to-10 years in a state correctional facility for the illegal transfer and straw purchase of firearms. Cimabue was sentenced under the Brad Fox Law, which mandates a minimum sentence of five years in state prison for the offense.

The arrest comes at the conclusion of an investigation conducted by Tpr. John Hanosek of the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Investigation Unit. As a result of the investigation, it was determined that Cimabue purchased five firearms, including two AK 47s, and sold them without a federal firearms license to individuals in Pennsylvania.

Whelan commended investigators along with members of the Anti-Violence Task Force for their continued investigation into straw purchases. He also noted that his office will continue to aggressively prosecute straw purchases and illegal gun transfers in Delaware County.

“I’d like to commend Deputy District Attorney George B. Dawson, Chief of the Anti-Violence Task Force, who prosecutes straw purchase cases on behalf of the commonwealth and commend Tpr. John Hanosek for his work on this investigation,” Whelan said in a press release. “Our office will continue to work with federal, state and local agencies to address and reduce gun violence and raise awareness about the severity of these crimes.”