A Fremont man, Justin Herring, appeared in court Thursday facing 20 felony charges related to firearms.
The charges include 10 counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and 10 counts of possessing a deadly weapon during a felony. If convicted, Herring could face between a fine, 30 years in prison, or up to 540 years behind bars.
The charges stem from a search of Herring’s home in rural Saunders County, where authorities found over a dozen firearms, suppressors, knives, brass knuckles, and several boxes of ammunition. Some of the weapons were hidden in a secret basement room. Herring had been convicted of a felony in 2001, which prohibits him from owning firearms.
The search came after a protection order was filed against Herring, accusing him of domestic abuse, including an incident involving a firearm and an infant. However, he has not been charged with assault or abuse at this time.
Herring posted 10% of a $250,000 bond and is scheduled for a court hearing on December 5.
Following his court appearance, the Nebraska Republican Party distanced itself from Herring. He had been a member of the party’s Executive Committee for Congressional District 2 but resigned in March.
The party criticized him for his association with a group called Red State Nebraska, which it claims is trying to influence political funding against the official party line.
Herring had also appeared in a political ad for Sen. Deb Fischer during the 2024 election. The Nebraska GOP did not respond immediately when asked for further comment.