Grimy Times Exclusive: Justin Arthur Berger, a 36-year-old Helena man, has admitted to a firearms crime after law enforcement discovered an unregistered machine gun and other firearms in his home.
According to the U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich, Berger pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered machine gun, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over the guilty plea, setting sentencing for March 20, 2024. Berger remains in detention pending further proceedings.
The government alleges that a friend of Berger’s notified the FBI in December 2022 that Berger had made statements about wanting to harm others in a mass shooting and was expecting to be killed by law enforcement during a shootout.
Investigators discovered that Berger had access to several assault rifles and silencers. A search warrant executed on Berger’s home yielded several firearms, including AR-style firearms, firearms components, a suspected short-barreled rifle, silencers, and components for assembling silencers.
One of the firearms seized was determined to be a machine gun because it was capable of firing more than one round by a single function of the trigger. There was no record of Berger having registered a machine gun in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes is prosecuting the case, with the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Helena Police Department conducting the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve.
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Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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