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Matthew Berger Acquitted Of Threatening To Kill FBI Agents

CHICAGO (AP) -- A suburban Chicago man has been acquitted of charges he threatened to kill 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, Illinois, 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.

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

Berger was arrested Dec. 17 after being accused of trying 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.

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