A 28-year-old Laurel, Montana, man will spend three years in prison for a 10-day crime spree during which he vandalized and robbed law enforcement vehicles around Billings. Among the stuff he stole was a shotgun, ammunition, body armor and medical supplies.
Home surveillance video eventually led to man’s arrest and sentencing to prison last week.
Jacob Charles Berger pleaded guilty in December to possession of a stolen firearm.
In his sentencing memo to Montana U.S. District Court, Berger’s attorney requested no jail time, asking that “the court give consideration to placing Jacob on supervised release.”
“Prior to the time period of this case, Jacob had no meaningful contact with the court system,” wrote defense attorney Edward Werner. “It is highly questionable whether the direction of Jacob’s life will be improved if he spends time in prison.
“The only explanation for what happened is that he committed the offense while under the pull of methamphetamine,” added Werner, offering photographic proof in the sentencing memo.
The photos were captured by a body camera worn by a Billings police officer, and Berger’s attorney used the images in his plea for leniency.
“Meth addiction pulled Jacob, then a 27-year-old, into a horrible place,” stated Werner.
Berger’s actions during his 10-day crime spree in 2024 put law enforcement in a tough spot, and his arrest would reveal a deeper criminal history.
In the end, the judge rejected Berger’s appeals for probation.
A 28-year-old man will spend three years in prison for his 10-day crime spree vandalizing and robbing law enforcement vehicles in Billings, Montana. Among the stuff he stole was a shotgun, ammunition and body armor. (Billings Police Department) 
A 28-year-old man will spend three years in prison for his 10-day crime spree vandalizing and robbing law enforcement vehicles in Billings, Montana. Among the stuff he stole was a shotgun, ammunition and body armor. (Billings Police Department)
Skater Shoes
In response to the rash of law enforcement vehicle break-ins, law enforcement officers obtained home surveillance footage from one of the thefts. It showed the suspect was wearing black “skater” shoes and riding a black and red bicycle with skinny tires.
On March 20, 2024, Billings Police Department Detective Steve Hallam identified Berger as a suspect and staked out a residence in Billings. When Berger emerged from a detached garage on the property, Hallam arrested Berger.
Law enforcement recovered a bicycle wrapped in black electrical tape and processed it for fingerprints.
“Three latent fingerprints on the bicycle were identified as Berger’s,” according to the Montana U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Berger admitted to breaking into police vehicles, and when investigators searched Berger’s garage, they found a shotgun, medical kits and body armor Berger stole from the police vehicles.
Investigators went on to recover seven other firearms that had been reported stolen between July 2023 and March 2024.
“I also stole other items and firearms from civilians,” stated Berger in a letter to the court following his guilty plea. “I wish I could go back and erase what happened, but I can’t. I can only move forward and make amends for the wrongs I’ve done.”
“I understand that the police department was harmed by my actions,” continued Berger. “I compromised public safety by reducing the number of available vehicles and thereby officers to respond to the aid of civilians. I potentially compromised the employment of the officers whose cars I broke into, and for that I’m very sorry. I know their jobs are difficult and vital to our community.”
How Common?
It might seem counterintuitive to think law enforcement vehicles are natural targets for theft, but it happens, sometimes in dramatic fashion.
In November, a Laramie County Sheriff’s Department patrol vehicle was stolen by one suspect while another was being arrested outside Cheyenne. The suspect who ran off in the patrol car was later caught and the vehicle was recovered.
It’s more common for law enforcement vehicles to be targeted for burglary than auto theft because they often contain valuable firearms and equipment.
“That's happened more than a few times,” Frank Groth told Cowboy State Daily. A retired law enforcement officer from California who now lives in Campbell County, Groth said officers are trained to strategically park vehicles so they are not easy targets.
“We saw that in the San Francisco Bay area a number of times,” said Groth. “I think it was the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office had several of their cars broken into because they got good loot, right? They were parked outside the courthouse — outside the courthouse. That's presumptively as safe a place as you can get.”
In Campbell County, like other jurisdictions around Wyoming, officers drive “take home cars.”
“So, they’re parked right in front of their house,” said Groth.
In 2024, news reports detail thieves targeting law enforcement vehicles in Illinois and California. In San Francisco, according to the automotive site jalopnik.com, it wasn’t weapons the thieves were after but instead catalytic converters, which contain valuable rare metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium.
David Madison can be reached at david@cowboystatedaily.com.
