Illinois man acquitted of charges he threatened lives of FBI agents

The jury deliberated for nearly four hours before finding Matthew Berger not guilty Monday of making threatening communications by telephone and threatening the life of a federal officer.

The 34-year-old Berger of Morton Grove has been in federal custody since his arrest in December. Defense attorney Steven Greenberg says Berger will likely be transferred to Cook County Jail on an unrelated charge of pulling a fire alarm at a police station.

Greenberg argued during trial that Berger was a nuisance, but his actions did not constitute a crime.

Berger was arrested Dec. 17 after he allegedly tried to break into the northwest suburban FBI field office. Prosecutors claimed Berger had a history of making telephone threats dating back at least to June 2017.