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    Philadelphia Sues Three Area Gun Stores for Facilitating Illegal Gun Trafficking By Selling to Straw Purchasers

    City of Philadelphia v. WRT Management, Inc. f/k/a Tanner’s Sport Center Inc., et al.

    11.3.2023

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      Everytown Law partners with the Philadelphia Law Department and Kramer Levin to sue three Philadelphia-area gun stores tied to over 1300 crime guns recovered by the City.

      Philadelphia, PA – Everytown Law is representing the City of Philadelphia in its lawsuit against three area gun dealers: Delia’s Gun Shop, and Frank’s Gun Shop & Shooting Range, and WRT Management, formerly known as Tanner’s Sports Center. The City’s complaint alleges that these stores are responsible for supplying an outsized share of the City’s illegal secondary market for crime guns through repeated facilitation of illegal straw purchases. Publicly available records alone show that, between March 2018 and March 2022, these three dealers collectively sold at least 158 guns to at least 32 straw purchasers. Meanwhile, between 2015 and 2019, law enforcement recovered over 1300 guns sold at these stores at various crime scenes throughout the City. Through this lawsuit, the City hopes to put an end to these stores’ violation of state and federal laws against the facilitation of straw purchases and bring them to account for continuing to undermine the public health and safety of the City and its residents.

      Case Documents

      October 31, 2023 – Amended ComplaintDownload
      November 21, 2023 – Delia’s Preliminary Objections to Amended ComplaintDownload
      November 21, 2023 – Frank’s Preliminary Objections to Amended ComplaintDownload
      December 14, 2023 – WRT Management Inc’s Preliminary Objections to Amended ComplaintDownload
      December 14, 2023 – WRT Management Inc’s Preliminary Objections Memorandum of LawDownload
      December 22, 2023 – Plaintiff’s Response in Opposition to Delia’s and Frank’s Preliminary ObjectionsDownload
      January 9, 2024 – Delia’s Reply to Plaintiff’s Memorandum of LawDownload
      January 10, 2024 – Plaintiff’s Response in Opposition to WRT’s Preliminary ObjectionsDownload
      February 7, 2024 – Plaintiff’s Praecipe to Provide Supplemental AuthorityDownload
      March 19, 2024 – Order Overruling Delia’s Preliminary ObjectionsDownload
      March 19, 2024 – Order Overruling Frank’s Preliminary ObjectionsDownload
      March 20, 2024 – Order Denying WRT Management Inc’s Preliminary ObjectionsDownload
      April 12, 2024 – Motion to AmendDownload
      April 18, 2024 – Delia’s Answer to ComplaintDownload
      April 18, 2024 – Frank’s Answer to ComplaintDownload
      April 25, 2024 – WRT Management Inc’s Answer to ComplaintDownload
      April 26, 2024 – Plaintiff’s Opposition to WRT Management Inc’s’ Motion to Certify Case for Interlocutory AppealDownload
      April 26, 2024 – Order Denying Frank’s and Delia’s Motions to AmendDownload
      May 24, 2024 – Petition for Allowance of Appeal with ExhibitsDownload
      June 17, 2024 – Plaintiff’s Answer Opposing Petition for AppealDownload
      August 26, 2024 – Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel Discovery Production and Responses (Delia’s)Download
      September 5, 2024 – Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel Discovery Production and Responses (Frank’s)Download
      September 10, 2024 – Defendant’s Opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel Discovery (Delia’s)Download
      September 24, 2024 – Defendant’s Opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel Discovery (Frank’s)Download
      September 26, 2024 – Order Granting Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel Discovery as Uncontested (Frank’s)Download
      September 30, 2024 – Defendant’s Motion for Reconsideration of Order Granting Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel (Frank’s)Download
      October 2, 2024 – Plaintiff’s Opposition to Defendant’s Motion for Reconsideration (Frank’s)Download
      October 3, 2024 – Defendant’s Reply to Plaintiff’s Opposition to Motion for Reconsideration (Frank’s)Download
      October 8, 2024 – Defendant’s Supplemental Brief in Support of Opposition to Motion to Compel (Frank’s)Download
      October 8, 2024 – Plaintiff’s Supplemental Brief in Support of Motion to Compel Discovery (Delia’s)Download
      October 8, 2024 – Defendant’s Supplemental Reply in Opposition of Motion to Compel Discovery (Delia’s)Download
      October 24, 2024 – Order Denying Defendant’s Motion for Reconsideration (Frank’s)Download
      November 4, 2024 – Petition for Appeal DeniedDownload
      November 12, 2024 – Plaintiff’s Petition for Special and Preliminary Injunctions and Show Cause Hearing (Frank’s)Download
      November 14, 2024 – Order Granting Special and Preliminary Injunctions (Frank’s)Download
      November 15, 2024 – Order Granting Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel Discovery (Delia’s)Download
      November 26, 2024 – Order Rescheduling Preliminary Injunction Hearing (Frank’s)Download
      March 20, 2025 – Motion for Sanctions and Related Relief for Spoliation of Evidence by Defendant Frank’s Gun ShopDownload
      March 20, 2025 – Declarations and Exhibits in Support of Motion for SanctionsDownload
      April 7, 2025 – City’s Notice to Court Regarding SpoliationDownload
      April 7, 2025 – Frank’s Opposition to Sanctions Motion Download
      April 8, 2025 – Frank’s Supplemental Response to Sanctions MotionDownload
      April 9, 2025 – Goldstein Law Partners LLC’s Opposition to Sanctions MotionDownload
      April 25, 2025 – City’s Reply in Support of Sanctions MotionDownload
      May 21, 2025 – Order Denying Sanctions MotionDownload
      August 1, 2025 – City’s Omnibus Discovery MotionDownload
      August 15, 2025 – Delia’s Opposition to Discovery MotionDownload
      September 9, 2025 – Order Granting in Part City’s Discovery MotionDownload
      November 25, 2025 –  Delia’s Omnibus Discovery MotionDownload
      December 1, 2025 – Delia’s Motion for Summary JudgmentDownload
      December 1, 2025 – Exhibits Supporting Delia’s Motion for Summary JudgmentDownload
      December 1, 2025 – City’s Motion for Partial Summary JudgmentDownload
      December 1, 2025 – Declaration and Exhibits Supporting the City’s MotionDownload
      December 9, 2025 – City’s Opposition to Delia’s Omnibus Discovery MotionDownload

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      Did you know?

      30 percent of guns recovered by ATF in California have no serial number on them, making it impossible for law enforcement to trace.

      Stephens A. “Ghost Guns Are Everywhere in California”. The Trace. (2019). https://bit.ly/2DKkIlt