Billings man admits possessing stolen firearm after breaking into police vehicles Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana Byline: Clair J. Howard Dateline: Billings, Montana Date: 17 December 2024 Subjects: American Government , Crime, Public Service Vehicles

BILLINGS — A Billings man accused of breaking into police vehicles and stealing a shotgun, body armor and medical supplies admitted to a firearm crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Jacob Charles Berger, 28, pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm. Berger faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Berger was released pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that in March, the Billings Police Department began an investigation into the vandalism of five law enforcement vehicles that occurred March 5, 2024 to March 15, 2024 in which multiple items were stolen, including medical kits, body armor and, on one occasion, a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition. Surveillance video from of one of the thefts showed a suspect wearing black shoes and riding a black and red bicycle with skinny tires. Investigators recovered the bicycle and identified three latent fingerprints on the bike as Berger’s. Law enforcement arrested Berger at his residence on an unrelated warrant. Berger admitted to breaking into police vehicles and taking body armor, medical supplies and a shotgun. Officers served a search warrant on Berger’s garage and, along with the shotgun, they located seven other firearms that had been reported stolen between July 2023 and March 2024. Officers also located the medical kits and body armor Berger had taken from the police vehicles.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Billings Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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Clair J. Howard

Public Affairs Officer

406-247-4623

Clair.Howard@usdoj.gov

Updated December 17, 2024

Press Release Number: 24-319