Villa Park man accused of illegally selling guns gets 10 years in prison
DUPAGE COUNTY - A Villa Park man who was accused of illegally selling guns has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
On July 2, Bruce Berrier pleaded guilty to one count of Gunrunning. The 22-year-old appeared in court on Tuesday to learn his fate.
"Armed violence continues to plague our communities causing citizens to live in fear of becoming the next victim of a violent crime," said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin.
"More often than not, the guns used in these crimes are illegally obtained from people such as Mr. Berrier, who seek to line their own pockets at the expense of our communities’ safety," he added.
In Sept. 2020, Berrier was contacted through Snapchat by an undercover officer who wanted to purchase a weapon, officials said. The officer met with Berrier and purchased a .22 caliber firearm and multiple rounds of ammunition.
After that first sale, the officer was again able to purchase three more weapons and ammunition from Berrier, with the final sale happening on Nov. 24, 2020.
The meetings and sales took place in Roselle and Hanover Park.
Bruce Berrier | DuPage County State's Attorney's Office
On Dec. 3, 2020, law enforcement conducted a search warrant at Berrier’s home and took him into custody.
"Thankfully, the weapons Mr. Berrier sold did not make it into the hands of those who would use them to commit violent crimes. I commend the ongoing, pro-active work of the North Central Narcotics Task Force into illegal gun sales. While we will never know for sure, their work on this case may have prevented a tragedy from occurring," Berlin said.
Berrier is required to serve 75% of his sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections before being eligible for parole.