Fresno Man Sentenced to 56 Months for Burglarizing Two Firearms Stores

FRESNO, Calif. - Justin Ernest Breitwieser, 56, of Fresno, was sentenced yesterday to 56 months in prison and ordered to pay over $2,700 in restitution for burglar of a federally-licensed firearms dealer, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on September 3, 2022, Breitwieser broke into firearms dealer #1 and stole six firearms, ammunition, and other items. Then, on October 29, 2022, Breitwieser broke into firearms dealer #2 and stole an AR-15 upper assembly, a Glock conversion kit, and a tactical bullet proof vest. A search of Breitwieser's residence recovered evidence from the burglaries. Additionally, agents located two firearms and approximately 900 rounds of ammunition.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Antonio J. Pataca prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.