Harrah Man Sentenced to Serve 15 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm Possession following High-Speed Chase
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, Hunter Eugene Berry, 23, of Harrah, was sentenced to serve 180 months in federal prison, the statutory maximum, for illegally possessing a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On March 9, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Berry, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and for possessing a stolen firearm. On May 17, 2023, Berry pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On Jan. 5, 2023, public records reflect that law enforcement responded to reports of a reckless driver in northeast Oklahoma County. After Berry refused to stop the vehicle, he led law enforcement on a high-speed chase that reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour. Helicopters with the Oklahoma City Police Department and local news media observed Berry drive into oncoming traffic and run several vehicles off the road. A school bus was also run off the road. During the pursuit, Berry also stole a firearm from a vehicle parked in the driveway of a residence in Oklahoma County, and he later shot at law enforcement with that firearm. The vehicle driven by Berry had been reported as stolen earlier that day.
At the sentencing hearing yesterday, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Berry to serve 15 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Wyrick noted that Berry’s egregious conduct put members of the public in grave danger and described the high-speed chase as “horrifying and frightening.” Judge Wyrick also noted Berry’s criminal history. Public records reflect that Berry holds a felony conviction for burglary in the first degree in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-19-336.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, the Jones Police Department, the Harrah Police Department and the Luther Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Gridley prosecuted the case.
This case is part of operation “Shots Fired," the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. “Shots Fired” targets cases involving individuals who discharge firearms as part of their criminal activity, such as drive-by shootings, when shots are fired during robberies, domestic disputes or other incidents.
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