Cheyenne Registered Sex Offender Faces New Felony Charge

A registered sex offender from Cheyenne is facing a felony charge after he was reportedly caught with a gun.

Cracked Windshield Leads to Felony Arrest

According to a booking sheet, on Monday, Oct. 13, at 1:57 p.m., a lieutenant with the Wyoming Highway Patrol stopped 36-year-old Thomas Irving Berger on Prairie Drive by Frontier Mall for driving with a cracked windshield.

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The lieutenant says Berger had insurance information on his phone, so he requested Berger join him inside his patrol vehicle.

When he patted Berger down, the lieutenant says he found a 9mm handgun in his waistband.

He says a check of Berger's criminal history showed he's a convicted felon and not allowed to possess a firearm.

Berger was arrested and booked into the Laramie County Detention Center and subsequently charged with felon in possession of a firearm, a felony punishable by up to three years in prison, up to a $5,000 fine, or both.

Initial Court Appearance

On Wednesday, Oct. 15, Berger was seen in Laramie County Circuit Court in front of Judge Antoinette Williams on the charge.

Williams appointed Berger a public defender and his preliminary hearing was set for Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 2:15 p.m.

Williams then asked for the state's position regarding bond.

"The underlying penalty was third-degree sexual abuse of a minor and that stemmed from a 2013 arrest date," the state said. "While post disposition of that matter, he's had several failures to register issues and then an actual conviction for prohibited access to school facilities in 2022, contempt of court back in '23, and here today."

"Given the fact that violent felon, violation of court orders, and possessing a firearm, the state would ask for a $5,000 cash bond," the state added.