Billings Man Who Shouldn’t Have Guns Gets Federal Prison

A Billings man is headed to federal prison for nearly four years after pleading guilty to several weapons charges. Ryan David Schreder, 45, was found to have purchased dozens of guns, even though he was legally barred from having them due to a previous mental health commitment.

Sentence and Supervision Details

Schreder received a 46-month prison sentence and will be under supervised release for another three years after finishing his time behind bars. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters handed down the sentence.

Investigation Sparked by Community Concerns

Authorities began investigating Schreder after receiving multiple reports of his troubling behavior. On October 10, 2024, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s deputies searched his Billings home, where they uncovered 23 firearms, over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and several large-capacity magazines.

READ MORE: Major Police Operation Clears Infamous Billings Apartment Building

How Schreder Obtained the Guns

Federal agents discovered that between early 2022 and mid-2024, Schreder made at least 18 gun purchases from four different licensed dealers in town. Each time, he lied on the required federal forms by claiming he had never been committed to a mental institution. If he had answered truthfully, the sale would have been stopped immediately.

Loophole Allowed Purchases to Slip Through

According to the ATF, gun sellers in Montana have no way of checking if someone has been involuntarily committed for mental health reasons, since that information is not included in state criminal records. As a result, the system depends on buyers telling the truth, a flaw Schreder exploited.

Some Guns Surface in Unrelated Crimes

Officials say at least three of the guns Schreder bought were later recovered by law enforcement during separate investigations. This has raised more questions about where those weapons might have gone or how they may have been used.

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Joint Effort by Local and Federal Authorities

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Vestal led the prosecution, with both the ATF and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office working together on the case.