A Helena man pleaded guilty on April 3 to illegally possessing a loaded AR-15 rifle in his vehicle on state Capitol grounds after he was listed as an absconder on the state of Montana webpage, authorities said.
Joshua Nzeyimana, 23, faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release for his probation violation.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. According to the U. S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana, on Dec. 3, Nzeyimana was a convicted felon on state supervision and possessed a loaded AR-15 rifle in his vehicle, found during a probation search of his vehicle.
When the vehicle was searched, it was located on state Capitol grounds in Helena and in an interview he admitted to firing one shot in an open field near a park, officials said.
Previously, the defendant was convicted in state district court for felony criminal endangerment and felony assault with a weapon, which prohibited him from possessing firearms, authorities said.
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The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montana Highway Patrol and Montana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation.