United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Erin Leigh Gehrig, 41, of Alma, Nebraska, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to 30 months’ imprisonment following her conviction for possession of stolen firearms. After she completes her prison sentence, Gehrig will also serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Gehrig pleaded guilty to the offense on October 13, 2022.
A home in Bertrand, Nebraska, was burglarized on April 13, 2021. The victim of the burglary is related to Gehrig. Fourteen firearms were taken in the burglary. Gehrig later told police that another person approached her and said he wanted to steal firearms. Gehrig told that person about the residence in Bertrand, and allowed that person to use her minivan. That person later returned, and the 14 stolen firearms were in the back of the minivan. Gehrig arranged for the sale of the stolen firearms for $1,500 to two other persons. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the home of the purchasers. Thirteen of the 14 stolen firearms were recovered when that home was searched.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Kearney Police Department, and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
