By Robert Moran
The Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Police Department Internal Affairs investigators served a search warrant Wednesday morning at the home of a city officer alleged to have stolen firearms parts from the department.
Investigators found 51 firearms in Anthony Magsam’s home, but a preliminary check of the serial numbers did not match any guns missing from the department Firearms Identification Unit, Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey said.
The rifles and handguns were taken as part of the investigation of what happened in the unit, Ramsey said. SWAT officers assisted with the search as a precaution because it involved firearms.
Magsam, 30, was “very, very cooperative” during the search, Ramsey said. Magsam, who lives in the Castor section of Northeast Philadelphia, was taken to be interviewed by Internal Affairs but did not answer any questions. He is not charged with any crimes. He is represented by an attorney, who could not be reached Wednesday night.
Magsam, who is reported to be a gun collector, is alleged to have stolen parts of two automatic weapons from the Firearms Identification Unit, where he was assigned. It is a federal crime to possess stolen or unregistered automatic-weapons parts.
The allegation was first reported by the Philadelphia Daily News in August.
Ramsey has reassigned Magsam to a desk job at Police Headquarters. The commissioner also reassigned Magsam’s former supervisor, Lt. Vincent Testa, to a district. Testa is alleged to have orchestrated a cover-up.
Ramsey said he had asked the FBI to take over the investigation because it involves a possible federal crime, and to avoid the risk of having evidence tainted and the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Magsam’s mother is a sergeant in the department who is married to a retired chief inspector.
The FBI “agreed to take a look at it,” but has made no decision on whether to officially take the case, Ramsey said. He said he wanted the investigation to be “as open and transparent as possible.”
In the meantime, the investigation will continue to be handled by Internal Affairs.
Ramsey requested an audit of the firearms unit by the U.S. Department of Justice. The audit found seven handguns and one TEC-9 semiautomatic weapon missing.
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