Man Sentenced for Straw Purchasing Operation in Morrisville

MORRISVILLE BOROUGH, PA — A New Jersey man faces 10 to 20 years in state prison after being sentenced on Friday for his involvement in a “straw purchasing” operation in Morrisville, authorities said.

Christopher Demond Lee Jr., 30, of Ewing, N.J., pleaded guilty in September to multiple felony counts, including dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, making materially false written statements in connection with the purchase of firearms, and criminal conspiracy.

The Bucks County Strike Force, led by Detective Jeffrey Jumper, conducted a comprehensive investigation with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force.

Investigators said that Lee purchased nine firearms across multiple transactions in Morrisville between January and July 2024, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said.

Authorities said that Lee obtained a Pennsylvania driver’s license and used a false Bucks County address on official forms to bypass residency requirements. Authorities said that Lee acted as a “straw purchaser,” buying firearms for individuals ineligible to own them for cash.

Three firearms were later recovered during criminal investigations:

• On April 25, 2024, Trenton Police recovered a handgun purchased by Lee after it was used in an aggravated assault where a victim was shot 10 times.
• On June 14, 2024, a firearm with an obliterated serial number, identified as one of Lee’s purchases, was found in a juvenile’s bedroom during a search by Bucks County Juvenile Probation.
• On Aug. 31, 2024, Philadelphia Police recovered another of Lee’s firearms during a narcotics arrest.