HARRISBURG, Pa. – Harrisburg man pleads guilty and handed a prison sentence for his second firearms offense committed before his 18th birthday
Lawrence A. Bradley, Jr., who recently turned 18, plead guilty on Monday, September, 21, in Dauphin County Court to Theft by Receiving Stolen Property, Carrying a Firearm without a License, Possession of a Firearm by a Minor, Persons Not to Possess a Firearm, and Flight to Avoid Apprehension, and received a sentence of 2 ½ – 5 years’ incarceration in a state correctional institution.
This wasn’t Bradley’s first illegal possession of a handgun. In fact, this is the second time Bradley was caught with a gun prior to his 18th birthday.
In the current case, on October 9, 2014, around 7:10 p.m., Dauphin County probation officers were conducting routine fieldwork attempting to make contact with probationers when they observed Bradley in a high-crime/high-drug area.
The officers attempted to make contact with the Bradley, as he was on probation for a previous felony drug offense, by calling his name. Bradley immediately ran away on foot. While Bradley was running away, officers saw him lift his sweatshirt which revealed a dark handle of a firearm on his right hip.
Bradley was also seen throwing the firearm as he ran. He was apprehended a short time later city officers, while the probation officers secured the firearm he threw away a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. It was learned later that the firearm was stolen.
Bradley was prohibited from carrying a firearm as he was under 18 years old at the time of the offense and because he had previous juvenile adjudications for Escape and Possession of a Firearm by a Minor.
