11 In Pittsburgh Area Charged With Illegal Weapons Trafficking

PITTSBURGH, PA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Wednesday that 11 people in the Pittsburgh area have been charged with illegal possession and transfer of firearms - including a convicted felon on parole who was arrested after a pursuit.

Stanford A. Russell Jr., 33, was arrested March 20 at his home on Jonathan Court in Pittsburgh after he fled a vehicle stop and ran from officers. Police recovered a revolver, firearms accessories and drugs during the arrest. Russell is being held without bail, as he is on parole for prior felony convictions.

Ten other people were recently charged with various offenses, including felony violations of Uniform Firearms Act and conspiracy. The investigation is ongoing into connections between the individuals. Some defendants are considered co-conspirators; Russell is believed to have operated separately.

In addition to Russell, charged are: Daniel Crow, of Pittsburgh; Taylor Murphy of Pittsburgh; Juliona Upsher of Trafford; Vance Arrington of Pittsburgh; Aiyanna Crosby of Pittsburgh; Danielle Pinkston of Pittsburgh; Tejuan Davis of McKeesport; Daemon Davis of McKeesport; Jaidon Berry of Verona and Sarah Woodruff of Verona.

The investigations leading to the arrests were led by the Office of Attorney General’s Allegheny County Gun Violence Task Force, a collection of agencies targeting straw purchasers and other illegal transfers of firearms.

Assisting with these investigations were the FBI's Pittsburgh Field Division, Pennsylvania State Police, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Swissvale Police Department, and the Pittsburgh Police Department. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute.

”Straw purchases and other illegal transfers of firearms are direct safety threats to our communities, and this task force is devoted to tracking offenders and the firearms which so often end up at violent crime scenes,” Sunday said in a release. “I commend the agencies involved in this case who worked together to stop an illegal flow of firearms.”