NORRISTOWN — A Philadelphia man is headed to a state prison after he was caught in illegal possession of a handgun during a sobriety checkpoint detail in Springfield Township.
Rashaun Irvin, 40, of the 5200 block of Delancey Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 3 to 6 years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of person not to possess a firearm in connection with a June 3, 2023, incident.
Judge Wendy G. Rothstein imposed the sentence as part of a plea agreement.
As a condition of the sentence Irvin must forfeit his firearms to county detectives.
Irvin will receive credit for time he spent in jail since his arrest on June 3.
An investigation began about 12:32 a.m. June 3 when police officers, who were conducting a sobriety checkpoint in the area of Bethlehem Pike and Montgomery Avenue in Springfield Township, made contact with Irvin, who was operating a silver Ford Escape vehicle. Police noticed a strong odor of burnt marijuana emanating from the vehicle, according to the arrest affidavit filed by Springfield Police Corporal Robert Chiarlanza.
While looking into the vehicle, police observed a black and gray handgun in plain view.
“This firearm was observed between the driver’s seat and the center console close to the proximity of where the seatbelt would be buckled,” Chiarlanza alleged. “The magazine was loaded and a bullet was in the chamber as well.”
With the charge, police alleged Irvin had a previous conviction that prohibited from possessing a firearm.
A DUI charge was dismissed against Irvin as part of the plea agreement, according to court records.
