Licensed firearms dealer in King William pleads guilty to falsifying form for missing shotgun

RICHMOND, Va. - A federally licensed firearms dealer in King William, Virginia, pled guilty today to making false material statements regarding a missing firearm.

According to court documents, Thomas Christian Berberich owned and operated Pamunkey River Guns, LLC, (PRG). On March 14, 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began an inspection of PRG. After reconciling the firearms at PRG against the open entries in PRG's acquisition and disposition book, investigators determined that a .410 caliber shotgun had no disposition in PRG's records and was not present in the store. On March 22, 2023, an ATF investigator instructed Berberich to report the shotgun as lost or stolen and complete an ATF Loss/Theft Form.

On April 5, 2023, Berberich directed a co-conspirator to come to PRG to complete paperwork for the sale of the missing shotgun, which they did on April 7, 2023. Berberich signed the ATF Form 4473, certifying that the information on the form was true, correct, and complete. Neither the shotgun nor any money was exchanged. Berberich sent an email that day to the ATF investigator reporting that the missing shotgun was found on April 6, 2023, in a box in a closet at PRG, and that the shotgun was then sold to a customer on April 7, 2023.

When the investigator returned to PRG on April 12, 2023, Berberich provided him with a copy of the false Form 4473. After the investigation, Berberich forfeited his federal firearms license.

Berberich is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 5, 2025. The maximum penalty for making false statements is five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Wright and Peter S. Duffey are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-131.