Montgomery County Man Plead Guilty In Connection With Straw Purchase Scheme

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — A Cheltenham Township man has admitted in court that he engaged in the straw purchasing of firearms.

Faatir Ali Al-Ahad, 25, of the Elkins Park section of Cheltenham, pleaded guilty recently in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court to felony charges related to a scheme in which he obtained handguns and then illegally transferred them to individuals prohibited by law from owning firearms, according to court records and media reports.

Records show that Al-Ahad admitted late last month to his role in the straw purchasing scheme. He faces potentially decades behind bars.

The defendant was one of a number of individuals under investigation by county detectives and Cheltenham Township Police investigators for illegally buying and selling guns to those unable to possess guns, according to a report in the Mercury newspaper.

The report says that Al-Ahad was accused of purchasing eight firearms on three separate occasions between December 2020 and January 2021 at gun stores in Springfield Township and Norristown in Montgomery County, as well as Warminster and Southampton Townships in neighboring Bucks County.

At the time he purchased the guns, Al-Ahad, who was legally allowed to buy and possess firearms, lied on federal forms asking whether the purchase was for himself and nobody else.

Court records show that Al-Ahad pleaded guilty to a host of felonies, including counts of corrupt organizations, sales to ineligible transferees, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, conspiracy and making false statements to authorities.

He entered his guilty pleas on June 27 before Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas DelRicci.

Records show sentencing has been scheduled for Sept. 20.