Felon's guns in Darby official's name?

Darby Borough, already ravaged by gun violence, was rocked yesterday by news that a convicted felon may have been in possession of handguns registered to borough Councilwoman Edna Stockley.

Andrew Cuff, 52, who has aggravated assault and firearms convictions, was arrested yesterday after police had searched his Mulberry Street garage last week and found two shotguns, drugs and $27,000 in cash.

But they also discovered gun paperwork - filled out by Stockley - for two 9mm pistols, said Darby police Chief Robert Smythe.

One of those guns was found last week under the driver's seat of a car that Cuff had returned to Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Philadelphia, Smythe said. Cuff's criminal record prohibits him from possessing a firearm.

The company turned the gun over to investigators from Philadelphia's gun-violence task force, who determined that it belonged to Stockley. She told investigators that it fell out of her purse when she was in the rental car with Cuff, Smythe said.

When asked about a second 9mm she owned, Stockley first said it was in Cuff's garage, but later brought it to police and said her brother – a borough constable – had it, according to Smythe.

Smythe said his department is not investigating Stockley because it would be a conflict of interest. He said that the case was turned over to the state Attorney General's Office. But the attorney general's spokesman, Kevin Harley, said last night that his office is not investigating Stockley.

Stockley, a Democrat elected in 2007, did not return a message left on her cell phone yesterday.

Paula Brown, Darby's former mayor and Stockley's political ally, denied Smythe's claim that Cuff is Stockley's boyfriend and accused Darby police of targeting Stockley because she has been critical of the department's payroll practices.

Smythe said politics played no role in the investigation.

"At some point in time," Smythe said, "she has to explain why she doesn't have the guns that are registered to her."