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NORRISTOWN — The ringleader of a multi-county gun trafficking organization who used straw purchase schemes to acquire 34 firearms in Montgomery, Bucks and Philadelphia counties and then illegally transferred or resold the weapons to others throughout the region will spend more than a decade in prison.
Clayton Moorice Robinson, who turns 22 next week, of the 800 block of Penn Avenue in the Glenside section of Abington Township, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 13 to 26 years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to eight counts of firearm sales to ineligible transferees and one count each of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, corrupt organizations, possessing a firearm with an altered manufacturer’s number and conspiracy in connection with incidents that occurred in the three counties between November 2020 and December 2021.
With his guilty plea, Robinson, who was prohibited from purchasing handguns because he was underage at the time, acknowledged that 34 firearms were purchased by other members of the organization for him and that he made a profit by reselling the firearms on the street.
“You were part of a criminal enterprise…a sophisticated business enterprise,” Judge Wendy G. Rothstein addressed Robinson as she imposed the sentence that included several consecutive prison terms sought by prosecutors. “But for the straw purchase, these weapons would not be on the street.”
A straw purchase occurs when a person with a clean background purchases firearms on behalf of another person to conceal the true ownership of the firearm. Those who are unable to legally purchase firearms include convicted felons, domestic violence offenders, juveniles and mentally ill individuals.
A county detective testified Robinson was “the hub” of the organization and that “the spokes” reached out to others in the organization.
“He was the ringleader. He had other people doing his dirty work so that he could make the profit. He knew exactly what he was doing. That’s 34 firearms that can cause unimaginable trauma to other families,” said Assistant District Attorney William Highland III, who argued for a sentence of 25 to 50 years in prison for Robinson.
Testimony revealed only nine of the 34 firearms have been recovered by authorities.
“That leaves double digits of guns out on the streets. Guns change hands very quickly. We’re not going to know the damage it’s caused. The damage is unknown,” added co-prosecutor Samantha Arena.
Five other men from Bucks and Montgomery counties also were charged in connection with the gun ring, accused of either purchasing the firearms or helping with the resale of the firearms, and are awaiting court action.
Before learning his fate, Robinson, the father of a 4-year-old daughter, pleaded for mercy, claiming childhood traumas, mental health issues and a drug addiction influenced his conduct.
“I truly became detached from reality. I realize what an idiot I was,” said Robinson, claiming since he’s been in jail he has sought to turn his life around. “I’m nowhere near perfect but I’m working on it every day.”
As sheriff’s deputies escorted him from the courtroom to begin serving his sentence, Robinson commented to a reporter, “I’m happy. I’ll be home soon.”
Robinson was supported in court by about two-dozen relatives and friends. Robinson’s mother asked the judge to show mercy for her son, maintaining he understands the seriousness of his conduct, is remorseful and “is smart and capable and kind and he just got way off path.”
Defense lawyer V. Erik Petersen sought a sentence of less than 10 years in prison for Robinson, arguing he can be rehabilitated, is motivated to become a productive member of society, has obtained his high school diploma and wants to be a good father to his daughter.
“My client is not a sophisticated gun trafficker. He was a 20-year-old addict trying to support his habit,” Petersen argued.
Highland argued in court papers that “the lasting effects of the illegal transfers are wide reaching and greatly impact the community.”
“This was not a brief crime spree or a crime of opportunity. Instead, the defendant was deeply involved in an illegal firearm trafficking business, the defendant was utilizing multiple purchasers and theft to gain firearms for distribution,” Highland wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “While the defendant did not enter the store to make the purchases, he remained in the shadows and used others for his personal financial gain.”
Prosecutors argued a majority of the firearms purchased by the organization have yet to be recovered and that most of the guns will likely remain on the streets changing hands and eluding recovery by police in large part due to Robinson’s actions.
“There is little doubt that the actions of this defendant and this organization have led to an illegal stream of commerce that has the ability to be used to contribute to crimes of violence and gunfire within Montgomery and surrounding counties. There is an unknown and potentially catastrophic outcome with these unrecovered firearms and the potential for crimes of violence, including murder and assaults, is undeniable,” Highland added.
Robinson, prosecutors alleged, personally removed serial numbers from the purchased firearms and communicated with others in the organization about doing so to protect his purchasers, demonstrating he understood the importance of the serial numbers.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors showed the judge a video posted by Robinson on social media that depicted his using a power tool to grind the serial number off of one of the firearms.
“The defendant was brazen in his knowledge and the importance of removing the serial numbers that he filmed and took pictures of himself grinding the serial numbers off the firearms,” Highland alleged. “While this act may seem small in the larger picture of the crimes charged, the fact is that this act will prevent and hinder the recovery of firearms and provide an uphill battle when attempting to determine the reach that this organization had in crimes committed across the county and state.”
The gun trafficking investigation began when Robinson was found to be in possession of an illegal firearm, despite his being just 20 years old at the time. The joint investigation by detectives from Montgomery and Bucks counties and Abington police looked at Robinson’s activities and led to the gun purchasers.
From there, detectives began following the multiple purchases of firearms by three of the defendants through the Electronic Record of Sale (EROS) system and through hard copies of ATF and Pennsylvania State Police forms at gun stores.
The FBI Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force and Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA also assisted with the investigation.
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