A convicted felon from St. Louis, Missouri, admitted to committing two arsons in St. Louis in 2022 and being found in possession of firearms during the investigation.
Vaely Berry, 52, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two arson charges and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Berry admitted to throwing a gasoline-filled bottle onto the roof of a supermarket and grill located in the 8300 block of North Broadway in St. Louis on July 15, 2022, igniting a fire.
Berry also admitted to using two gasoline-filled bottles on Dec. 8, 2022, to set the roof of a liquor store in the 5900 block of Lillian Avenue in St. Louis on fire.
During the investigation into the fires, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives special agent conducted a court-approved search of Berry’s home. The search uncovered a revolver and a shotgun. Berry acknowledged that, as a convicted felon, he is legally prohibited from possessing firearms.
Berry is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13, 2024. The arson charges carry a potential sentence of five to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The firearm charge could result in up to 15 years in prison and a similar fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware is prosecuting the case.
