An Upper Darby man has been charged with possessing a stolen handgun with a “Glock switch” after an alert police officer came upon a suspicious vehicle.
Dante Easley, 24, of the 7200 block of Radbourne Road, was charged with receiving stolen property, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of an instrument of crime and making repairs-selling an offensive weapon.
Dante Easley Jr. of Upper Darby. (PHOTO COURTESY UPPER DARBY POLICE)
According to the criminal complaint filed by Upper Darby police Officer Travis Hall:
At 11:34 p.m. Thursday he noticed a white Ford Edge with Pennsylvania tags illegally stopped in a fire zone at Radbourne and Alderbrook roads. Inside the vehicle, the driver and front passenger were wearing dark masks with two additional passengers in the back seat.
Hall was then dispatched to a call, but returned just before 1 a.m. to the vicinity, which is known to it be a high crime area. The Ford was in the same illegal spot running.
Hall made contact with the occupants.
The driver was hesitant to put with window down fully and Hall noticed the rear occupants trying to conceal their faces by looking down or away. He instructed the driver to put all the windows down, at which time he detected a strong odor of marijuana.
When speaking with the driver, Hall said he noticed the man “blading” his body away, attempting to conceal something on his right side using his left hand to overextend across his body rather than simply using his right hand to open the glove box.
The driver was asked to turn off the vehicle as Hall awaited for additional units, and then all occupants were asked to step out for officer safety.
As Officer Tiendat Vu removed the rear driver side passenger from the vehicle, he observed two firearms in plain view under the driver seat and at the feet of the rear left passenger. Police said the firearms appeared to be placed on top of each other with the butts of both firearms facing the passenger.
All occupants were detained, and the firearms were recovered. Police also observed a small amount of marijuana in plain view on the rear right seat, and seized it as evidence.
Through investigation it was determined one of the two firearms was a Glock 26 9 mm with a “Glock switch,” a device which converts a semi-automatic pistol into an automatic pistol.
The firearm had been reported stolen in Cheltenham Township. The passenger was identified as Easley, who does not have a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt questioned the activity of those in the vehicle and credited the work of patrol officers.
“I’m not sure what they were up to, but it certainly wasn’t anything good,” Bernhardt said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that these two brave and alert officers prevented a serious crime from being committed. Hats off to them and to all the officers who work here.”
Bernhardt also expressed his concern about stolen firearms falling into the wrong hands.
“I’m deeply frustrated by how easily dangerous firearms end up in the wrong hands, like the stolen gun we recovered with an illegal switch capable of causing serious harm,” he said. “In Upper Darby, I promise you, if you carry illegal guns or break the law, you will be stopped, arrested and prosecuted. Every day, our officers are out there, alert, engaged, and proactive, making smart, lawful stops and protecting our community. I’m incredibly proud of their unwavering dedication and the outstanding work they do to keep Upper Darby safe.”
Easley was committed to the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in lieu of 10% of $50,000 bail after arraignment by District Judge Dawn L. Vann.