Jenkintown Police Department Photo by James Short.
A man from Maryland will serve time in state prison following a 2025 incident outside a local apartment that prompted a police response in the borough, according to a report.
John Michael Harman, 34, of Jessup, Md., was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 20 to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to illegal firearm possession charges stemming from an incident on Linden Street in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.
According to the Jenkintown Police Department, the investigation began on March 2, 2025, when a borough resident went to the police station reporting that her ex-boyfriend had come to her apartment uninvited and refused to leave. She told officers she was concerned due to prior domestic issues and said he had shown her a firearm earlier in the day.
Police responded to the 400 block of Linden Street and found Harman sitting in a vehicle parked outside the apartment building. Officers observed a handgun inside the car and determined Harman did not have a valid permit to carry.
Authorities later identified the weapon as a privately made “ghost gun” loaded with eight rounds. Further investigation revealed Harman was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Police reported that Harman appeared intoxicated at the time of the encounter and was taken into custody without incident.
As part of his sentence, a judge ordered the firearm to be destroyed and issued a no-contact order with the victim. Harman will also undergo a substance use evaluation while incarcerated and will receive credit for time already served since his arrest.
The case stems from an incident that drew police attention to a residential street in the borough and highlights ongoing enforcement of Pennsylvania’s firearm laws at the local level.
