NORRISTOWN — A Philadelphia man has admitted to unlawfully carrying a gun in Norristown, which was discovered by the police during a traffic stop in the borough.
David Adams-Wright, 21, who lives on the 5700 block of Rodman Street, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to serious charges of having a gun without a permit, possessing stolen property, and being involved in a plan to receive stolen property related to an incident in Norristown in July 2023.
Judge Steven T. O’Neill postponed sentencing in order for court officials to finish a background investigation report about Adams-Wright.
The open guilty plea indicates that Adams-Wright has not made any agreements with prosecutors regarding his potential punishment. Adams-Wright, who could face several months to up to two years in prison according to state sentencing guidelines, is currently out on bail until a sentencing hearing later this year.
An investigation began around 4:30 a.m. on July 20 when Norristown police saw a Kia Sportage vehicle heading west on West Marshall Street with three people wearing masks inside. Police discovered that the vehicle's registration had expired and conducted a traffic stop in the 500 block of Markley Street, according to a criminal complaint.
The male driving the vehicle informed police that he did not have a driver’s license and was detained.
Adams-Wright was in the front passenger seat of the vehicle and police observed that he had a small zipper bag across his chest.
“When asked if he had any weapons on him, he said, 'I have protection on me,’” alleged Norristown Police Officer Richard DeStefano in the arrest affidavit referring to Adams-Wright. “Police found a gray Ruger 9mm semiautomatic handgun in the bag.”
Police confirmed that the gun was registered to a relative of Adams-Wright.
In the charges, police claimed that Adams-Wright did not have a license to carry a concealed weapon.
A third male seated in the rear passenger seat had an active warrant out of Philadelphia and was also detained, according to court documents.
During the investigation, police discovered that the vehicle, occupied by the three men, had been reported as stolen in Philadelphia, according to the arrest affidavit.
