Credit: Bucks County District Attorney’s Office
A man wanted for being part of an alleged drug and gun distribution network has been brought before a district judge.
Russell Byron Norton, 32, of Bensalem Township, was preliminarily arraigned late Thursday before District Judge Terry Hughes on 96 gun and drug-related charges, according to court papers. He was being held Friday at the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10 percent of $5 million bail.
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The charges follow an investigation that began in 2021 and first became public in June when LevittownNow.com reported uncovered court papers related to the case.
Norton was a ghost gun manufacturer and firearm seller for the so-called “Pentz Drug and Gun Distribution Organization” that operated in Bucks County and Philadelphia as a source supplier of methamphetamine, assault-style rifles, handguns, untraceable “ghost guns,” and fully-automatic weapons since 2021, authorities said.
Detectives alleged that the group provided direct access to a variety of firearms, including fully automatic weapons and parts for modifying weapons to make them more dangerous. The organization reportedly made “large profits” from sales.
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The probe by the Bucks County Detectives Drug Strike Force and Bristol Township police involved undercover surveillance, covert recordings, drug buys, and the sale of guns, court records showed.
On Wednesday, detectives executed a pair of search warrants at Norton’s residence on Neshaminy Valley Drive in Bensalem Township and his business in the 5300 block of Emilie Road in Bristol Township.
Credit: Bucks County District Attorney’s Office
Detectives discovered 13 firearms in Norton’s residence, including a ghost gun handgun, two AR-15 style ghost guns, and various handguns, rifles, and a shotgun, as well as a considerable amount of ammunition, police said.
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Investigators discovered 18 weapons in various stages of production and one completed firearm, as well as tools and items necessary to manufacture and create further firearms, at his business location. The equipment discovered included a grinder, drill press, Dremel, vices, a 3D printer, and a milling machine, authorities said.
Norton was arrested Wednesday in Bristol Township during a traffic stop on an outstanding New Jersey warrant. Norton was found to have 12 bags of suspected fentanyl/heroin on him, court papers said.
Norton’s vehicle had a 9mm Glock handgun and 45 bags of suspected fentanyl/heroin, police said.
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Norton is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms due to a past felony conviction and due to his active criminal warrant out of New Jersey, authorities said.
Credit: Bucks County District Attorney’s Office
Nicholas Pentz, 29, of Bristol Township’s Levittown section, and Brandon Monachelli, 24, of Bensalem Township, were charged in June as part of the investigation. They are being held in the Bucks County Correctional Facility unable to post bail awaiting their next court dates in the new year.
Bensalem Township police, Bristol Township police, and the Bucks County Detectives were assisted by the Bucks County South Emergency Response Team, the Philadelphia Police Department bomb squad, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations.
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“Once again, and not for the last time, our Drug Strike Force has partnered with many law enforcement agencies to take down an illegal gun runner,” Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub said. “This great work by law enforcement has undoubtedly saved lives in our community. More to come.”
“HSI Philadelphia is committed to leveraging federal resources to help dismantle firearms trafficking operations and keeping illegal weapons off our streets,” said Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of HSI Philadelphia. “Investigations like this one are only brought about through close partnerships and information sharing. Holding such illegal firearms manufacturers and traffickers accountable for their actions is a major step toward achieving our goal of safe and secure communities.”
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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