COURTHOUSE >> During what was not a typical way to spend one’s birthday, a Philadelphia man was convicted by a Montgomery County judge of drug and weapons charges in connection with a Lower Merion incident.
Laurance Anthony Brown, of the 5100 block of Woodbine Avenue, was convicted of charges of possessing two firearms with obliterated serial numbers, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, criminal use of a communication facility and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in connection with a Feb. 11, 2016, incident in the Haverford section of Lower Merion.
Judge Steven T. O’Neill rendered the verdict during a non-jury trial on Wednesday, the day Brown celebrated his 24th birthday. During the trial, Brown stipulated to certain facts contained in an affidavit of probable cause filed by Lower Merion detectives.
O’Neill deferred sentencing so that court officials can complete a background investigative report about Brown, who remains free on bail pending sentencing. Brown faces a possible maximum sentence of 16 to 32 years in prison on the charges. However, state sentencing guidelines could allow for a lesser sentence.
“This is a serious offense involving guns and drugs,” said county Assistant District Attorney Laura Bradbury, who vowed to seek prison time against Brown.
Bradbury said detectives would testify that it is common for individuals involved in the illegal trafficking of drugs to purchase firearms illegally on the street to avoid the serial numbers being tracked back to them and that often the illegally sold firearms have serial numbers scratched off or modified.
“Having a gun with an obliterated serial number is very dangerous on the streets,” Bradbury said.
An investigation began when Lower Merion detectives received information that Brown was going to conduct a drug transaction in the rear of the Haverford Gables Apartments in the 300 block of West Montgomery Avenue at about 1:30 p.m. Feb. 11, according to a criminal complaint. Detectives had the area under surveillance, observed Brown arrive at the location and approached him.
Brown admitted to detectives that he had an ounce of marijuana in his coat pocket and consented to a search of his Chrysler 300 sedan. During a search of the vehicle, detectives found about 8 ounces of a green plant matter that tested positive for marijuana “in a hidden compartment storage device designed to look like a dictionary,” according to the criminal complaint.
After Brown admitted that he had more marijuana at his home in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia detectives accompanied him to the home to conduct a search. During that search, detectives confiscated about 1 ½ pounds of marijuana, drug packaging materials and a digital scale typically used to weigh marijuana, according to the arrest affidavit.
Detectives also seized a Smith & Wesson .357-caliber revolver and a Jennings .22-caliber semiautomatic pistol in close proximity to the marijuana. The serial numbers on both firearms were “ground down, altered or otherwise obliterated” in violation of state law, detectives alleged.
“The defendant admitted that the marijuana, drug paraphernalia and firearms were his property, that he was involved in the trafficking of marijuana and that the marijuana recovered was possessed by him for the purpose of selling and or distributing it to others,” Bradbury alleged in court. “The defendant admitted he went to Haverford for the purpose of delivering marijuana to another person and that he used his cellular telephone to arrange the marijuana delivery.”
