HARRISBURG — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced charges against a convicted felon recently found with numerous firearms and a large cache of ammunition at his northeast Philadelphia home.
The Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force led an investigation of Byron Ceasar, regarding purchases of firearms earlier this month at the Oaks Gun Show. Agents, assisted by Philadelphia Police Department, served a search warrant Friday at Ceasar’s home on Carver Street and seized eight firearms — including assault rifles — and ammunition.
Ceasar, 42, is charged with eight felony counts of persons not to possess firearms, due to two previous felony convictions. Ceasar was arraigned Saturday, when bail was set at $1 million.
“This collaborative investigation led us to a twice-convicted felon with various firearms and more than six thousand rounds of ammunition,” Attorney General Henry said. “Every gun that is possessed illegally is a potential threat to the community. This search operation and arrest is a testament to the value of agencies working together to take guns out of the wrong hands.”
Agents from the Gun Violence Task Force observed Ceasar, who was with his wife, purchase the firearms and ammunition at the gun show, then followed them back to their home in the 900 block of Carver Street. There, Ceasar was observed taking the items out of a car and into his house.
The firearms seized were: a Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol, a multi-caliber Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle, a Mossberg International AR-style pistol, a Ruger 357 revolver (reported stolen, recovered from Ceasar’s coat pocket), a Palmetto Armory multi-caliber AR-15 assault rifle, a Canik TP9 9mm pistol, a Glock 26 9 mm pistol, a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm pistol, along with over 6000 rounds of ammunition.
The Office of Attorney General Philadelphia Gun Violence Task Force works collaboratively with local, state, and federal agencies to track straw purchases and other illegal transfers and possession of firearms, and incidents of violence that result from those transactions.
Last year, the Task Force seized more than 500 firearms and was a part of nearly 400 investigations in Philadelphia.
The Ceasar case will be prosecuted by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office (Gun Violence Task Force). All charges are accusations. The defendant is innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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