A Levittown man with a history of mental health commitments attempted on two occasions to buy firearms at local gun shops falsified government forms and was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police, authorities say.
On January 2, Manuel Delaperriere, 37, walked into Johnston’s Sporting Goods in Croydon and attempted to purchase a Taurus .38 caliber handgun from the federally registered dealer. On the following day, he attempted to buy a Charter Arms .357 caliber revolver at Mikes Sporting Goods on Levittown Parkway, in both instances the defendant filled out ATF form 4473 using his state issued Pennsylvania drivers license, court records show.
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According to the affidavit, Delaperriere’s answered “no” to question 11F on the ATF form which asks “have you ever been adjudicated mentally defective or have you ever been committed to a mental institution?” Court documents say on three separate occasions, most recently in April of 2012, Delaperriere was committed by the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas to Lower Bucks Hospital for inpatient treatment by the provisions of section 303 of the Mental Health Procedures Act 0f 1976.
Delaperriere was charged with two counts of making false statements, a felony, and two counts of making unsworn falsification to authorities, a misdemeanor offense, according to online court documents. He was released on 10 percent of $40,000. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in front of District Court Judge Frank W. Peranteau Sr. on August 28.
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