Christopher Woodhead attempted to purchase multiple firearms at Dunkelberger’s just three months after completing a 5-year probation sentence for his third drunk driving conviction

STROUDSBURG, PA — A Northampton County man who turned himself in last week on charges he tried to fraudulently purchase firearms at a downtown Stroudsburg gun store had previously been convicted of his third DUI offense and spent years violating probation before the attempted purchase, court records show.

Christopher Raymond Woodhead, 37, of Mount Bethel, surrendered at the Stroud Area Regional Police Department on December 12 at 10:00 a.m. — more than eight months after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Kristina Anzini and released on $5,000 unsecured bail.

The charges stem from an incident on April 21, 2023, when Woodhead allegedly walked into Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitters at 585 Main Street in Stroudsburg and attempted to purchase multiple firearms. According to police, Woodhead was legally prohibited from buying guns in Pennsylvania due to prior criminal convictions — and he allegedly lied on the federal background check paperwork to conceal that fact.

What the Crimewatch posting doesn’t mention: Just three months before that gun store visit, Woodhead had finally satisfied the terms of a five-year probation sentence stemming from his third drunk driving conviction in Pike County.

A Pattern of DUI Convictions

Court records reveal Woodhead’s 2015 arrest in Milford Borough wasn’t his first encounter with drunk driving charges — it was his third.

On March 29, 2015, Milford police arrested Woodhead for DUI with a blood alcohol content between .10% and .16% — well above Pennsylvania’s .08% legal limit. Because of his prior DUI history, prosecutors charged him with third-offense DUI, a first-degree misdemeanor carrying significantly enhanced penalties.

Woodhead initially appeared headed for Pennsylvania’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, which allows first-time offenders to avoid a criminal record. But on October 1, 2015, Pike County Judge Gregory H. Chelak signed an order removing the case from ARD consideration — a clear indication that Woodhead’s criminal history disqualified him from the program.

On January 28, 2016, Woodhead pleaded guilty before Judge Chelak. Two months later, he was sentenced.

The Sentence

Judge Chelak’s March 31, 2016 sentencing order laid out the consequences of Woodhead’s third DUI conviction:

• 30 days in Pike County Jail (with a two-day deferral to report)
• 90 days of house arrest with alcohol detection electronic monitoring
• 5 years in the Intermediate Punishment Program
• Drug and alcohol evaluation through Pike County Catholic Social Services
• Completion of Pike County Alcohol Highway Safety Program
• $1,500 in fines plus nearly $6,000 in costs and fees
• Prohibition from possessing or consuming alcohol
• Prohibition from entering any establishment where alcohol is served
• Prohibition from operating a motor vehicle while his license remained suspended

The sentence was supposed to keep Woodhead sober and supervised through 2021. It didn’t work out that way.

Years of Violations

Court records show Woodhead almost immediately fell behind on his court-ordered payments. Delinquency notices began arriving in November 2016 — just seven months after sentencing. They continued for years: notices filed when he was 51 days overdue, then 82 days, then 101, 128, 152, 177, 199, 214, 248, 267, 291, 318, 348, 394, 410, 452 days overdue.

By 2018, Pike County Adult Probation had had enough.

In June 2018, probation officers filed a petition alleging Woodhead had violated the terms of his Intermediate Punishment Program. A hearing was scheduled for August 9, 2018. Woodhead’s attorney, James P. Baron, filed a motion to withdraw from the case. The court granted it, and Woodhead was left to represent himself.

On October 25, 2018, Judge Chelak signed an order finding Woodhead to be a probation violator.

The violations continued. Another petition was filed in November 2018. Woodhead appeared at a hearing on November 29, 2018, and was released from Pike County Correctional Facility back into the Intermediate Punishment Program — another chance.

Another contempt petition was filed in June 2022, with a hearing scheduled for August 25, 2022. That hearing was continued generally.

Finally, on January 23, 2023, court records show Woodhead’s penalty was marked as satisfied. After nearly seven years — two years longer than his original five-year sentence — the case was closed.

Three months later, he walked into Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitters.

The Gun Store Incident

According to the criminal complaint, on April 21, 2023, Woodhead entered Dunkelberger’s — a family-owned sporting goods store that has operated in downtown Stroudsburg since 1972 — and attempted to purchase multiple firearms.

Federal law requires anyone buying a gun from a licensed dealer to complete ATF Form 4473, which asks whether the buyer is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. Prohibited persons include convicted felons, people convicted of misdemeanors punishable by more than two years imprisonment, fugitives, unlawful drug users, and others.

Pennsylvania law adds additional restrictions under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6105, including prohibitions for people convicted of certain DUI offenses.

Police allege Woodhead provided false information on the paperwork to conceal his prohibited status. The purchase was denied.

But here’s where the timeline gets murky: The incident occurred in April 2023. According to the Crimewatch posting, Stroud Area Regional Police didn’t receive a report about the attempted fraudulent purchase until April 15, 2024 — nearly a full year later.

Charges weren’t filed until April 3, 2025 — two years after the alleged offense. The warrant sat active for more than eight months before Woodhead surrendered.

Not the First Case at This Store

Woodhead’s case is the second attempted fraudulent firearm purchase at Dunkelberger’s that the Pocono Review has reported on this month.

In a separate case, Tyler Thomas Brown, 38, of Effort, allegedly attempted to purchase multiple firearms at the same store on August 7, 2024, while he had an active warrant and was legally prohibited from gun ownership. Brown faces two separate sets of charges — one filed in June 2025, another in July 2025 — and remains at large.

Both cases raise questions about the timeline between when fraudulent purchase attempts occur and when charges are ultimately filed.

Life as a Fugitive

While the warrant for his arrest sat active, Woodhead’s troubles continued to mount.

In July 2024, Tatamy Borough police in Northampton County cited Woodhead for operating a vehicle without valid inspection and failure to carry a license. He pleaded guilty to both summary offenses but still owes $145.25 in fines and costs.

In August 2024, his landlords in Mount Bethel filed an eviction case against him. Woodhead owed $2,268.50 in back rent on his $1,450-per-month apartment. A judgment was entered against him for $2,457.67, and an order for possession was issued on September 10, 2024.

Court records list his current address as Mount Bethel, PA 18343.

What Comes Next

Woodhead’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 22, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. before MDJ Anzini.

He faces two charges:

• Materially false written statement in firearm transfer (18 Pa.C.S. § 6111(g)(4)(ii)) — A third-degree felony carrying up to seven years in prison
• Unsworn falsification to authorities (18 Pa.C.S. § 4904(b)) — A third-degree misdemeanor carrying up to one year

If convicted on the felony charge, Woodhead would be permanently barred from ever legally purchasing or possessing firearms in Pennsylvania.

He has requested a public defender.

CASE REFERENCE

Defendant: Christopher Raymond Woodhead, 37 DOB: July 25, 1988 Residence: Mount Bethel, PA 18343 (Northampton County) Physical Description: White male, 5’10”, 200 lbs, brown hair, brown eyes

Current Case:

• Docket: MJ-43201-CR-0000094-2025
• OTN: Z 1005642-1
• Charges: Materially false written statement – firearm transfer (F3), unsworn falsification to authorities (M3)
• Offense Date: April 21, 2023
• Location: Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitters, 585 Main Street, Stroudsburg
• Warrant Issued: April 3, 2025
• Surrender Date: December 12, 2025
• Bail: $5,000 unsecured
• Preliminary Hearing: January 22, 2026, 10:30 a.m.
• MDJ: Kristina Anzini (43-2-01)
• Investigating Officer: John D. Miller, SARPD

Prior DUI Conviction (Pike County):

• Docket: CP-52-CR-0000331-2015
• OTN: T 651308-0
• Charge: DUI – High Rate of Alcohol (BAC .10-.16), Third Offense (M1)
• Offense Date: March 29, 2015
• Disposition: Guilty plea, January 28, 2016
• Sentence: 30 days jail, 90 days house arrest/electronic monitoring, 5 years IPP
• Judge: Gregory H. Chelak
• Case Closed: January 23, 2023

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Woodhead is presumed innocent on the current charges until proven guilty in a court of law.