Lansdale man admits to concealed gun charge
NORRISTOWN >> A Lansdale man has admitted to illegally carrying a concealed handgun, a crime that was discovered after he was involved in a motorcycle crash in Towamencin Township.
Robert Austin Jenkins, 26, of the 200 block of North Valley Forge Road, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to a felony charge of firearms not to be carried without a license in connection with a February 2023 incident along Forty Foot Road in Towamencin.
Judge Wendy G. Rothstein deferred sentencing until March. Jenkins remains free on bail pending that sentencing hearing.
Jenkins faces a possible maximum sentence of 3½ to 7 years in prison on the charge. However, state sentencing guidelines could allow for a lesser sentence.
An investigation began about 6:44 p.m. Feb. 21, 2023, when Towamencin police were dispatched to Forty Foot and Quarry roads for a report of a motorcycle crash. Upon arrival, police located a group of four motorcycles at the southwest corner of the intersection and Jenkins sitting on one of the motorcycles “staring off into the distance, was very pale and would not respond to verbal commands,” according to the criminal complaint filed by Towamencin Police Officer Andrew Konig.
Police assisted Jenkins off the motorcycle and into a seated position on the curb.
“Once Jenkins was seated, I noticed the motorcycle he was sitting on also had damage along the side and a foot peg was ripped off. Jenkins also had holes in his jeans and could see scrape marks on his skin,” Konig alleged, adding the investigation determined Jenkins and another cyclist had crashed into each other while traveling south on Forty Foot Road.
Emergency medical responders were requested to evaluate both operators, court documents indicate.
Jenkins eventually began to respond to authorities and claimed he had “an adrenaline dump from the crash and denied any further injuries,” police said.
While emergency responders were evaluating Jenkins, they learned that Jenkins had a handgun concealed in his waistband, according to the arrest affidavit.
Police determined Jenkins did not have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Police alleged the black Sig Sauer P365 handgun was fully loaded with 12 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.
Jenkins told police that the gun belonged to his wife and a record of sale query confirmed the woman had purchased the firearm on Nov. 21, 2021, according to the criminal complaint.
“Jenkins later stated he moved to Pennsylvania from Texas and never obtained a concealed carry permit. He stated he did have a concealed carry permit in Texas that expired,” Konig said.
A charge of possession of a prohibited firearm is slated to be dismissed against Jenkins at time of sentencing.
Assistant District Attorney William Harry Highland III is handling the case. Defense lawyer Mark David Eastburn represents Jenkins.