Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
BILLINGS – A Laurel man who broke into law enforcement vehicles and possessed a stolen firearm was sentenced today to 36 months in prison to be followed by3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Jacob Charles Berger, 28, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to possession of a stolen firearm.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that beginning on March 5, 2024, and continuing until March 15, 2024, an unknown male vandalized five different law enforcement vehicles. The suspect stole multiple items from inside the vehicles, including medical kits; body armor; and, on one occasion, a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition. The Billings Police Department began investigating the thefts.
Law enforcement officers obtained home surveillance footage from one of the thefts which showed the suspect was wearing black “skater” shoes and was riding a black and red bicycle with skinny tires. The bicycle appeared to have been wrapped in black electrical tape. Investigators recovered the bicycle on March 15, and processed it for fingerprints. Three latent fingerprints on the bicycle were identified as Berger’s.
On March 20, 2024, law enforcement arrested Berger on an unrelated warrant. He admitted to breaking into police vehicles and taking body armor, medical supplies, and a shotgun. Investigators searched Berger’s garage and seized the shotgun, as well as eight other firearms that had been reported stolen between July 2023 and March 2024. They also located the medical kits and body armor Berger stole from the police vehicles.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Yerger prosecuted the case, and the investigation was conducted by the ATF and Billings Police Department.
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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