Erie police said they seized three guns, two of which had magazines, during a traffic stop in the city on the evening of Feb. 21.
Police Chief Rick Lorah said Feb. 23 that three of the four men in the car face gun-related criminal charges.
According to Lora, Erie Police Department patrol officers stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation in the 1800 block of Parade Street. He said officers saw a gun on the seat next to a passenger.
Lola said police later found a gun with an extended magazine under the driver’s seat, and found another gun with an extended magazine in a bag between the legs of another passenger, and another gun with a 30-round magazine.
“Any time you stop a car and you take three guns out of the car, two of them with extended magazines, it’s very concerning to us,” Lola said. “It’s great for patrol officers to find traffic violations.”
More: Three charged after Erie shooting leads to robbery, assault
According to Erie police arrest records, three suspects were taken into custody in the 1800 block of Parade Street on Feb. 21 around 9:45 p.m.
Marious Schmitz, 18, was arraigned Feb. 22 on felony charges of carrying a firearm without a license and a simple traffic violation, and bail was set at 10 percent of $5,000, according to information in the crime docket.
Gianni Constantino, 19, was arraigned Feb. 22 on a felony charge of carrying a firearm without a license and two misdemeanor drug charges and was released from jail on unsecured bail, according to information in the crime docket.
Takoda K. Burk, 20, was arraigned Feb. 22 on a felony charge of carrying a firearm without a license and was jailed on a $5,000 bond, according to information in the criminal record sheet.
The three are tentatively scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on March 6.
Please contact Tim Hahn at thahn@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared in Erie Times News: Traffic stop leads to Erie police confiscating guns, charging 3 people