Jonathan Berry, a Cortez local who recently pleaded guilty to a Class 5 felony weapons charge and misdemeanor DUI, was arrested on two warrants and found in possession of a handgun June 29.
Berry was spotted by Patrol Officer Vance Carver on June 29 in the Big R parking lot while waiting in line for a food truck. Officer Carver arrested Berry, who had two warrants for his arrest, and during the arrest, found that Berry had a 9 mm Ruger handgun with nine live rounds of ammunition in a holster on his hip.
The warrants, according to the incident report, were for local felony and weapons possession.
Carver said that he was warned by dispatch that it was possible Berry could have a weapon on his person after his history of arrests with weapons.
Officer Carver also noted that the handgun on Berry’s hip was “not at all visible.”
Berry is a convicted felon and was previously charged with possession of a weapon by a previous offender.
He was also found guilty of felony menacing for an offense committed June 4, 2019.
“While I was completing the booking process, Jonathan made a spontaneous utterance saying something to the effect of he doesn’t know what it is about him and firearms, but he is attracted to them,” Officer Carver said in the incident report.
Carver said he thinks Berry is dangerous.
“I believe Jonathan is a dangerous person and will gain access to firearms after being released from custody,” Carver said. “I believe a higher bond is reasonable to ensure the safety of police and the public.”
Berry was arrested April 7 after driving under the influence and was found to be wearing body armor and in possession of multiple firearms. He was allegedly heading to his fiance’s home at the time.
He was released on a $5,000 bail.
He pleaded guilty to a class five felony weapons charge and misdemeanor DUI on June 9. His official sentencing hearing was set to take place July 25.
If convicted, he would have faced a sentence of at least one to three years in jail for the Class 5 felony and fines of $1,000 to $100,00. The DUI sentence could range from five days to a year in jail and possible probation or community service.
He also would have had two years of mandatory parole if sentenced to the Department of Corrections.
Now, Berry will have another plea hearing on July 25 at 2 p.m. as well as his original sentencing hearing.
