The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings on July 13, 2010, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, BRENT W. LARSSON, a 29-year-old resident of Billings, pled guilty to being a felon-in-possession of a firearm. Sentencing has been set for October 12, 2010. He is currently detained.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ed Zink, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

LARSSON is a convicted felon on felony probation in Montana. As a result of his conviction, he was prohibited from possessing firearms.

In June 2009, members of the U.S. Marshals Violent Offender Task Force were looking for LARSSON for an outstanding warrant. They learned that while on state probation, LARSSON pawned three firearms in May 2009. They contacted an ATF agent and he started an investigation.

The investigation tracked down the owner of four firearms, T.H. T.H. told agents that he and LARSSON went and shot numerous firearms of T.H.'s together in early May. After shooting them, LARSSON persuaded T.H. to allow him to keep four of the firearms so he could clean them. T.H. said he made several unsuccessful efforts to get his guns returned to him and eventually reported them as stolen to the Billings Police Department.

Before this report was made, ATF agents and members of the Marshals Task Force had already determined all four of the guns had been pawned at different stores in Billings.

On May 18, 2009, a man identified here as J.T. pawned one of the guns at a pawn shop in Billings. This gun was an FNH FN AR, .308 caliber semi-automatic rifle. J.T. later told the officer that LARSSON asked J.T. to pawn the gun for him and that LARSSON stood by him during the pawn transaction. J.T. stated that LARSSON provided the answers to the pawn slip questions as they pawned the gun.

On May 24, 2009, at another pawn shop in Billings, LARSSON himself pawned a Vulcan, model V 10-9, 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

On May 26, 2006, at yet another pawn shop in Billings, LARSSON pawned a DPMS AR-15, .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle.

On May 31, 2009, again at previous pawn shop in Billings, LARSSON pawned a Glock, Model 23, .40 S&W caliber semi-automatic pistol.

Agents recovered the receipts for LARSSON's three pawn transactions which showed LARSSON was identified each time by a Montana driver's license for identification.

LARSSON faces possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least 3 years supervised release.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the U.S. Marshals Violent Offender Task Force, the Montana Probation and Parole and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.

 

 

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