A convicted felon on parole has been sentenced to 78 months in prison after pleading guilty to charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
William Henry Berry, 30, of Lathrup Village, Michigan, was sentenced on June 12, 2024 before United States District Court Judge Stephen J. Murphy in Detroit.
Berry was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $52,536.00.
According to court records, Berry came to the attention of the FBI during an investigation into a series of shootings between rival gangs in the Detroit area. Phone records placed Berry’s cell phone at the scene of four of those shootings.
During a subsequent search of Berry’s home, agents recovered a loaded American Tactical Omni Hybrid outfitted with a ‘red dot’ sight. Berry, who was on parole at the time, having previously been convicted of armed robbery, was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
In addition, agents discovered cash, bank cards in several other people’s names, and a notebook with names, addresses, and social security numbers of identity theft victims. Further investigation revealed that Berry had used the stolen identities to obtain over $52,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits.
‘Berry committed these serious felonies while on state parole demonstrating his contempt for the law,’ said Acting United States Attorney Saima Mohsin. ‘As a parolee, Berry chose not to become a productive member of society, but instead returned to violent criminal activity, identity theft, and fraud. There is no parole in the federal system. Today’s sentence protects the public by ensuring Berry will remain incarcerated for a significant period of time.’
Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Category: Violent Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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