Courts. (Credit: LevittownNow.com)
An Abington Township man already serving a life sentence for a deadly Lower Merion home invasion has received an additional 15 to 30 years in state prison for leading an illegal gun trafficking operation, according to a report.
Charles E. Fulforth, 42, of the 1600 block of The Fairway in the Jenkintown section of Abington Township, pleaded guilty to charges including corrupt organizations, illegal transfer of firearms, conspiracy, and possession of firearms prohibited by law. Authorities said the trafficking activity took place between June 2024 and January 2025.
The sentence will be served consecutively to the life term Fulforth received earlier this year after being convicted of first-degree murder in connection with a Dec. 8, 2024, home invasion in Lower Merion. During that incident, Andrew Gaudio, 25, was killed, and his mother, Bernadette Gaudio, 61, was shot and paralyzed.
Prosecutors said the home invasion was tied to the gun trafficking operation, as Fulforth and an accomplice were attempting to steal firearms to support illegal sales and mistakenly targeted the residence. The homicide investigation ultimately led authorities to uncover the trafficking ring.
Court records show Fulforth used 3D printers to manufacture untraceable ghost guns, suppressors, and machine gun conversion devices, and illegally transferred at least 23 firearms to others. Searches of his Abington home and a garage in Oreland uncovered weapons, gun parts, and manufacturing equipment.
Several other individuals were charged in connection with the case, with some already sentenced and others awaiting trial.
