A Towamencin Township man is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after he allegedly attempted to purchase a firearm in Hatfield Township while being prohibited from doing so.
According to the criminal complaint, Hatfield Township Police received a Request for Criminal Investigation from the Pennsylvania State Police on Oct. 28, regarding a background check for 39-year-old James Judge, who had allegedly attempted to make a firearm purchase at American Arms and Ammunition, located at 808 Bethlehem Pike.
Investigators learned that on May 31 at 2:16 p.m., Judge attempted to purchase a Taurus 856 handgun, and in doing so, he allegedly answered “no” to background check questions regarding if he was prohibited from purchasing or owning a firearm, the report states. The purchase was ultimately denied, as Judge was deemed mentally incompetent to own a firearm following an extended involuntary commitment in February 2012, according to the report.
Police met with an employee from American Arms and Ammunition on Oct. 28, who confirmed that Judge provided photo ID and filled out the proper forms in the presence of an employee, the report states. On Nov. 18, police received medical documentation confirming the extended involuntary commitment from 2012, and charges were filed the following day.
As a result of the investigation, Judge has been charged with two felony counts of making materially false written statements, and two misdemeanor counts of making false statements under penalty.
Judge was arraigned on Dec. 9 by Magisterial District Judge Andrea Duffy, who set bail at $20,000 unsecured. He was then released from custody, and his next court appearance is a preliminary hearing in front of Judge Duffy on Dec. 19 at 11:30 a.m.
Prior to the investigation by the Hatfield Township Police Department, Judge was arrested and charged in September by the Towamencin Township Police Department following a domestic incident that allegedly involved a firearm.
The criminal complaint from that case states that the victim said Judge allegedly pointed a gun at their face and threatened to kill them during the incident. Police retrieved the firearm that was allegedly used during the incident, and a record of sale query indicated that Judge owned a total of eight other handguns, according to the report.
Judge was arraigned on Sept. 13 on misdemeanor charges of strangulation, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats and harassment. Towamencin Township Police Chief Tim Dickinson told North Penn Now that the investigation into that incident, as well as the ownership of firearms, is ongoing.
(Editor’s note: All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause, and reflects the point of view of the police. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
See also:
Man Charged With Attempting To Make Prohibited Purchase Of A Firearm In Hatfield
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DUI Charges Pending Against Elderly Woman Who Crashed Vehicle Into Building On Saturday
Intoxicated Intruder Entered Elderly Woman’s Home, Found Lying Shirtless In Her Bed: Police
