Townsend man admits illegal possession of gun after shooting, killing dog

GREAT FALLS — A Townsend man accused of illegally possessing guns after he fatally shot his girlfriend’s dog following an argument admitted to a firearms crime on Dec. 4, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

The defendant, Gabriel Martin Puga, 33, pleaded guilty to prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition. Puga faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for April 16, 2025. Puga was detained pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that Puga was convicted of felony criminal endangerment in January in Broadwater County and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. On March 21, Puga got into an argument with his girlfriend regarding her dogs. The girlfriend told law enforcement that Puga threatened her numerous times, including to use a gun. The same day, Puga took possession of his girlfriend’s .380-caliber pistol and her one-year-old white labrador. Puga asked a friend to go with him to the mountains to help him kill the dog.

The government further alleged that the friend met Puga with the dog in the mountains that day. Puga took possession of the friend’s .45-caliber pistol and shot the dog twice. Puga gave the .45-caliber pistol back to his friend and returned to his girlfriend’s house. The girlfriend said Puga told her he shot the dog twice and showed her a photo of the dog’s pawprint in the snow from where he had shot him. Multiple photos of the deceased dog and messages where Puga referenced shooting the dog were found on the same phone as the photo of the dog’s pawprint. Law enforcement located the deceased dog in the mountains and recovered fur and .45-caliber cartridge casings that were confirmed to have been fired from the friend’s pistol.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Broadwater County Sheriff’s Office and Helena Police Department 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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