MEDFORD, Ore.—A Grants Pass, Oregon, man pleaded guilty today to illegally possessing a gun he stole in a burglary, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Matthew Bertrand, 45, pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm. Bertrand is a felon, having been previously convicted five other times for burglary and theft.
According to court documents, on January 5, 2024, Central Point Police responded to a burglary in progress. A witness told police that the witness saw a man wearing a black ski mask, a black jacket, and blue jeans jump the fence and go inside a home.
When police arrived and spoke to the homeowner, they saw Bertrand flee through the back of the home. Police caught Bertrand after chasing him through multiple backyards. Bertrand had a black ski mask. Police recovered the gun belonging to the homeowner in the area where Bertrand ran.
Bertrand admitted to “rob[bing] the house”, stealing the gun, and being in the victim’s house on a prior occasion because the owner had “lots of toys.”
On June 6, 2024, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a two-count indictment charging Bertrand with felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. He will be sentenced on March 11, 2027, before U.S. District Court Judge Kasubhai.
Bertrand faces a maximum of life with a mandatory minimum of fifteen years’ imprisonment as an armed career criminal. He also faces a fine of $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 fee assessment.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Medford Police Department, and Central Point Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Judi Harper is prosecuting the case.
