Man draws prison on gun, drug, charges

NORRISTOWN >> An Abington man is on his way to state prison after a jury convicted him of gun and drug charges and he also admitted to assaulting an exgirlfriend with a baseball bat.

Christopher Ramon Hall, 41, of the 1500 block of Lindbergh Avenue in the Roslyn section of the township, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 13 to 28 years in a state correctional facility on charges of persons not to possess firearms, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, aggravated assault and stalking in connection with incidents that occurred between December 2017 and January 2018 in Abington, Cheltenham and Whitemarsh townships.

The sentence was imposed by Judge Steven T. O’Neill.

“This was a very serious offender that it was extremely important to take off the streets and get a lengthy sentence for,” said Assistant District Attorney Laura Bradbury who sought the state prison term against Hall.

Bradbury argued that firearms are particularly prevalent in drug culture and extremely dangerous to the community-atlarge. Arguing that illegal handguns are the tools of the trade for those who inflict harm on others, Bradbury said Hall’s decision to possess five guns illegally make him part of that trade and necessitated a prison sentence in order to protect the

community.

“Guns and drugs often go together and it is extremely dangerous when we see those items in close proximity. Drug dealers often use firearms to protect themselves, their product and their money,” Bradbury said.

A jury convicted Hall of the Abington gun and drug charges during a trial in April. After he was convicted, Hall then pleaded guilty in June to the aggravated assault charges stemming from the Cheltenham domestic incident.

With the charges, authorities alleged that on Dec. 9, 2017, Hall attacked an ex-girlfriend with a baseball bat during a domestic-related incident that unfolded after he forced the woman’s vehicle off the road in the area of Cheltenham Avenue and 12th Street, according to a criminal complaint filed by Cheltenham Detective Denise Tecce.

“(The victim) then said that Hall exited his vehicle and began beating her vehicle with a metal baseball bat. (The victim) then exited her vehicle to flee to safety and Hall chased after her and beat her repeatedly with the bat until she collapsed on the highway,” Tecce alleged in court papers, adding Hall then fled the scene in his vehicle.

Authorities said Hall used the bat to beat the woman on her legs and she was transported to a local hospital by ambulance for treatment of her injuries.

As the investigation and hunt for Hall continued, Abington police, on Dec. 21, went to Hall’s Lindbergh Avenue residence while responding to reports of a fight in progress. Hall was not at the residence when police arrived but it was reported that Hall had been present during the alleged altercation.

“While on location, officers observed numerous live marijuana plants under a grow light along with other items of drug paraphernalia in plain view,” alleged Abington Detective Sgt. Sean Nisbet, adding authorities subsequently obtained a warrant to search the premises.

When police searched the residence they uncovered 45 marijuana plants of various maturity under grow lamps, a digital scale, drug packaging materials, “five handguns and numerous rounds of ammunition,” according to the arrest affidavit.

The weapons included a Ruger .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun, a Colt .38-caliber revolver and a Ruger SP101 revolver. Some of the weapons were loaded, one had an obliterated manufacturer’s number and one was confirmed stolen from a victim in Lower Gwynedd, detectives alleged.

Authorities alleged Hall had a previous conviction that prohibited him from possessing firearms.

Knowing that he was wanted by Cheltenham and Abington police, Hall, prosecutors alleged, hid out in a hotel in Whitemarsh. When Whitemarsh police responded to the hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue on

Jan. 10, 2018, they found about 10 pounds of marijuana and another firearm, a .380-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun, inside the room where Hall had been staying.

Hall was taken into custody at that time, according to the criminal complaint filed by Whitemarsh Detective Craig Cubbin.

“The Abington, Cheltenham and Whitemarsh police departments did a good job investigating the cases, tracking down the defendant and getting a dangerous criminal off the street,” Bradbury said.