Grants Pass Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Stolen Firearm

MEDFORD, Ore. — A 45-year-old Grants Pass man has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm he stole during a burglary in Central Point, federal prosecutors announced.

Matthew Bertrand pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. Bertrand has five prior convictions for burglary and theft.

According to court documents, Central Point police responded to a reported burglary in progress on Jan. 5, 2024. A witness told officers they saw a man wearing a black ski mask, black jacket and blue jeans jump a fence and enter a home.

When officers arrived and contacted the homeowner, they saw Bertrand fleeing through the back of the residence. Police pursued him through multiple backyards before catching him. Bertrand was carrying a black ski mask.

Officers later recovered a firearm belonging to the homeowner in the area where Bertrand had fled.

During the investigation, Bertrand admitted to robbing the house and stealing the gun. He also acknowledged having been inside the victim’s home on a previous occasion because the homeowner had what Bertrand described as “lots of toys.”

On June 6, 2024, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a two-count indictment charging Bertrand with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a stolen firearm.

Bertrand is scheduled to be sentenced on March 11, 2027, before U.S. District Court Judge Kasubhai.

Because of his criminal history, Bertrand faces sentencing as an armed career criminal. Prosecutors said he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Medford Police Department and the Central Point Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Judi Harper is prosecuting.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to address violent crime and improve public safety.