Man charged with possessing stolen firearm

A Lansford man has been charged with possessing a stolen firearm.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by officer Jarrod Bulger of the Lansford Borough Police Department:

At 2:50 p.m. Aug. 9, Sgt. Shawn Nunemacher told Bulger that Francis Chambers, 31, asked Bulger to speak with his children. Chambers said the children were afraid of police after officers had searched the residence for Chambers because there was a warrant for him.

At the residence, Bulger saw several items lying on the ground, including what appeared to be a firearm. Bulger saw that part of the firearm to be a silver streak where the serial number should be, and saw the pistol was a black .380 Lorcin Model LH380.

When Bulger picked up the firearm and asked Chambers what it was, Chambers responded, “My project.”

Bulger saw the silver streak on the slide was in fact a filed down serial number, and Bulger observed the portion of the gun to have a barrel, slide, spring, trigger, and sights, and observed the handle to appear sawed off from the pistol.

Bulger asked Chambers where he got the firearm, and Chambers said “online.”

Chambers told Bulger he had a receipt for it and had bank information on it as well. Bulger asked Chambers to bring that to the station.

Chambers was asked to complete a voluntary statement, which he did, saying he bought it online.

The gun was sent to the Pennsylvania State Police Lab for further evaluation due to the found items matching a stolen firearm out of Coaldale.

Chambers faces a charge of possession of firearm with altered manufacturer’s number.

He is currently incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $50,000 bail, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing June 26 before District Judge Casimir T. Kosciolek of Lansford.