The Minersville Police made two arrests on Wednesday as part of an investigation into two people illegally owning firearms.
According to Minersville Patrolman Jeffrey Bowers, on March 23rd, 2023, Borough Police were contacted by an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms concerning a resident in Minersville.
The agent told police that they had received information that Nikolas Marrin-Youmans, 28, of Lytle Street, Minersville, was in possession of numerous firearms and ammunition. Marrin-Youmans was known to have mental health history that included several involuntary commitments. One of those commitments was after holding his family hostage with a machete. He also attempted to disarm a police officer in Coaldale and held a woman at gunpoint with children present.
Marrin-Youmans was also wanted more recently after he pointed a handgun at a man in Plain Township, Luzerne County on February 26, 2023.
It was learned that Marrin-Youmans has been prohibited from possessing firearms since 2013 and he was known to possess numerous long guns, is a hunter, and also carries a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber in a holster on his hip.
It was also learned that his girlfriend, 29-year-old Samantha Illingworth, purchases the firearms for him since he is prohibited.
On Wednesday, March 29th, 2023, Minersville Borough Police obtained a search warrant for his home at 601 Lytle Street.
Just before noon, Minersville Police and the ATF executed the warrant and recovered the following items:
- Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun
- Hatfield 20-gauge shotgun
- Savage Model 62, .22 caliber rifle
- Mosberg 20-gauge shotgun
- Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun
- suitcase full of various ammunition
- backpack full of various ammunition
- drug paraphernalia
- Receipts for gun transfers
- 5 counts of person not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell, or transfer firearms
- 10 counts of sale or transfer of firearms
- 5 counts of conspiracy in regard to persons not to possess a firearm
- 5 counts of conspiracy to commit unsworn falsification to authorities
- possession of drug paraphernalia