Man Accused of Trafficking 15 Guns Used in Multiple Philly Homicides

A Montgomery County man is accused of straw purchasing and selling 15 guns, some of which were used in multiple homicides in Philadelphia, including a quadruple shooting that left three people dead, officials announced Wednesday. 

Tamir Hartsock, 23, of Glenside, is charged with unlawful sale/transfer of a firearm, dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activities, corrupt organizations, conspiracy, unsworn falsification and criminal use of a communications facility. 

The investigation began in April after Philadelphia Police recovered guns from people not allowed to possess a firearm, officials said. Police then linked those guns back to purchases made by Hartsock, according to investigators. 

Investigators determined Hartsock bought his first two guns on Sept. 9, 2020, less than a month after turning 21. He then continued buying handguns through December 2022 and bought seven guns in a four-month period at one point, investigators said. 

Hartsock bought a total of 15 firearms with four of them recovered and 11 unaccounted for, according to investigators. 

The tenth gun bought by Hartsock on February 19, 2021, – a Glock, Model G27, .40 caliber, semi automatic – was recovered by police on April 28, 2023, at the scene of a quadruple shooting that left three people dead and another injured along the 5900 block of Palmetto Street, according to investigators. A bullet taken from the body of one of the victims was entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). A ballistic comparison found that the bullet came from the Glock that was purchased by Hartsock, investigators said. Investigators also linked the same gun to a shooting on January 23, 2023, on the 3600 block of West Indian Lane. 

The first gun Hartsock bought on Sept. 9, 2020, – a Glock, Model 22, .40 caliber, semi-automatic handgun – was recovered on Sept. 6, 2022, after police responded to around 50 shots being fired along Carlisle Street, investigators said. Police stopped a fleeing vehicle at that location and arrested three people inside, including one person who was in possession of the Glock, according to officials. The fired cartridge casings from the Glock were entered into the NIBIN which connected the gun to the following Philadelphia shootings: 

January 15, 2021 - A shooting on 5043 Greene Street with no victims at the scene.

August 4, 2021 - A shooting on 3652 Germantown Avenue in which four people were injured. 

August 19, 2021 - A shooting on 5104 Germantown Avenue in which one person was killed and five others were shot.

May 30, 2022 - A shooting on 1543 West Erie Avenue in which a man was killed with more than 25 fired cartridge casings from three different guns. 

Two other guns purchased by Hartsock were also recovered on June 26, 2021, during a DUI arrest in Philadelphia as well as on Oct. 7, 2022, during a traffic stop and firearms arrest by Marple Township Police. 

Investigators said Hartsock bought the majority of the guns online and then shipped the weapons to a federally licensed firearms dealer in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. That dealer then completed the required forms and background check to finish the transaction, according to officials. 

“This defendant and his trafficking of firearms to violent criminals, including murderers, shows just how dangerous straw purchases are and what a danger they are to public safety,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said. “Gun traffickers like Hartsock are enabling violence and murder. Law enforcement at all levels—local, state and federal—are committed to partnering to stop the illegal sales of guns. And we have seen through this case that the use of the NIBIN machine and database can make a huge difference in tracking firearms and the violence committed with them.”

Hartsock was arraigned Wednesday with bail set at $500,000 cash. He was unable to post bail and remains in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. It’s unknown at this time if he has legal representation.