HARRISBURG, PA — Attorney General Dave Sunday, together with law enforcement partners, has announced charges against several convicted felons accused of possessing illegal firearms, including some allegedly tied to recent violent crimes in Philadelphia.
The defendants, all previously on parole, probation, or bail, are accused of illegally carrying firearms, including so-called “switch devices” that convert handguns into fully automatic weapons.
In one high-profile arrest, 20-year-old Askia Tisdale was taken into custody after allegedly fleeing to a rooftop when agents served a search warrant on North 6th Street. According to the investigation, Tisdale is wanted in connection with a February shooting involving individuals filming a music video on North 12th Street. Officers recovered a loaded Polymer handgun with an extended magazine during the search. Tisdale is charged with felony firearms offenses, and bail was set at $500,000.
Six additional individuals face charges following searches in July that uncovered illegal weapons. These investigations remain ongoing.
“These are dangerous offenders who think they live in a state of lawlessness, putting Philadelphia neighborhoods at risk with their violent conduct,” said Attorney General Sunday. “Switch devices, as evidenced by the tragic mass shooting in Grays Ferry, are designed to maximize damage and destruction. The law enforcement partners on this Task Force are fully committed to ridding communities of such deadly devices and the individuals who choose to possess them.”
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel emphasized the importance of strong interagency collaboration. “These arrests are the result of strong collaboration between our local, state, and federal partners — working together to get dangerous individuals and illegal guns off our streets,” Bethel stated. “People who repeatedly carry firearms that they know they’re not allowed to have — especially guns modified with switches — show a clear disregard for human life and the safety of our communities.”
Other arrests include:
- Nyfesse Saunders, 30, charged with illegal firearm possession and drug offenses. Saunders, who is on parole for a prior conviction involving the critical wounding of a corrections officer, is held on $750,000 bail.
- Juan Sierra, charged with possessing a firearm with an illegal switch and drug trafficking. His bail is $275,000.
- Yenpaur Sanchez, charged with drug trafficking, held on $100,000 bail.
- A 16-year-old male, under juvenile supervision, charged after police found two loaded firearms at his residence.
- Quadir Abdul-Raheem, 20, charged with possessing a fully automatic .40-caliber handgun while on bail. Bail is set at $750,000.
- Darrell Cherry, charged after a search uncovered a loaded Beretta and large quantities of heroin, crystal meth, crack cocaine, and marijuana. Cherry’s bail is $750,000, and he is also wanted in New Jersey.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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