Police: Chartiers Township man tried to sell submachine gun to trooper
A Chartiers Township man was arrested early Saturday on charges he attempted to sell a submachine gun to a state trooper who noticed the weapon advertised a day earlier in a Facebook group.
Donald Edward Soyka, 25, of Meadow Lands, faces allegations he offered the MAC-10 weapon for sale or in a trade for an all-terrain vehicle in the Canonsburg Online Yard Sale Facebook group, court records show.
The post included four photographs of the firearm. The post also solicited private messages from anyone who was interested in the deal, the affidavit accompanying the criminal complaint indicates.
The trooper said he used a fictitious Facebook profile to contact Soyka. They then used Facebook messages to reach a sale price of $475 for the weapon, the court record states.
The conversation moved to text messages, where Soyka allegedly invited the trooper to his residence to complete the sale. Soyka also allegedly told the trooper he had a fully automatic and loaded 9mm Luger handgun.
He also allegedly said the MAC-10 is “pretty old and has some history behind it,” the trooper stated.
Police obtained a warrant from District Judge Mark Wilson to search the suspect’s home at 335 1/2 Ewing St., where they seized both weapons.
Soyka allegedly confessed to taking the guns from his girlfriend, who brought them to his residence for protection.
Police alleged Soyka said he “decided to make a quick buck” by selling the MAC-10.
He also reportedly told police his girlfriend was given the guns by a man who claimed to have taken them from a man named Jack after Jack died while living in Mingo Estates.
Soyka is charged with criminal attempt to sell or transfer a firearm, possession of a prohibited offensive weapon, making a materially false statement involving the sale of a firearm and criminal use of a communication facility.
He is free on $10,000 bond set by District Judge Mark Wilson.