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Defendant Threatens Hennepin County Officials, Illegally Possesses Firearms
A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against Peter Robert Berry, a 60-year-old Minneapolis man, for making threats against Hennepin County employees and illegally possessing firearms as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
According to court documents, on June 24, 2021, the Hennepin County District Court issued an arrest warrant for Berry after he failed to appear in court for a hearing. Berry became angry and began yelling during a phone call with a Hennepin County Community Corrections employee, threatening to “shoot up the place.”
The same day, Berry left a voice message for a Hennepin County Probation Officer, demanding a call back before he starts “killing everybody.” On June 25, 2021, Berry called a Hennepin County Service Center employee, stating that he was going to “come down and kill everybody, all the judges, clerks, and deputies.”
Berry also left a voice message for a Hennepin County Public Defender on June 29, 2021, expressing his dissatisfaction with the representation he received in his criminal case and threatening that people were going to die. He also stated that he knew where the public defender lived.
According to court documents, on July 10, 2020, and on April 7, 2021, Berry unlawfully possessed three firearms, including a Beretta .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Smith and Wesson 9 mm pistol, and a Diamondback DB15 rifle. Berry has prior felony convictions in Hennepin, Dakota, and Ramsey Counties, making him prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Berry is charged with two counts of possessing firearms as a felon and three counts of interstate transmission of threats. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison K. Ethen is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case is part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, which focuses on reducing violent crime by targeting the most violent offenders and partnering with prevention and reentry programs.
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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