King William firearms dealer pleads guilty to falsifying form for missing shotgun
King William, Virginia – Thomas Christian Berberich, the owner of Pamunkey River Guns, LLC, in King William, has pleaded guilty to federal charges of making false material statements regarding a firearm that was unaccounted for in his store’s inventory. This plea was entered last week before U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.
Detailed Investigation Leads to Plea
The case unfolded when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began an inspection of Berberich’s firearms dealership, Pamunkey River Guns, LLC, on March 14, 2023. The ATF’s thorough review revealed a discrepancy: a .410 caliber shotgun listed in the acquisition and disposition book of PRG was missing, with no record of its sale or transfer.
On March 22, 2023, Berberich was instructed by ATF investigators to file a report classifying the shotgun as lost or stolen using the appropriate ATF form. However, in a turn of events that would lead to his guilty plea, Berberich involved a co-conspirator to falsify a sale record for the missing shotgun on April 5, 2023. This action was followed by the submission of the falsified ATF Form 4473 on April 7, where Berberich falsely certified that the transaction had taken place.
Berberich further attempted to mislead ATF investigators by claiming in an email that the previously missing shotgun had been discovered in a storage box at his store on April 6, 2023, and subsequently sold to a customer the following day. This claim was quickly disproven when ATF investigators returned to PRG and obtained the fabricated transaction documentation.
Legal Repercussions and Forfeiture
As a result of his actions, Berberich has surrendered his federal firearms license, effectively ending his ability to operate as a firearms dealer. The gravity of the charges against him carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The final sentencing, slated for February 5, 2025, will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines among other statutory factors, though typically federal sentences tend to be less severe than the maximum possible.
This case was announced by Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James VanVliet, the ATF’s Acting Special Agent in Charge. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Wright and Peter S. Duffey.
