Three Casper residents, including one with ties to an anti-government organization, pleaded not guilty to weapons charges during an arraignment in federal court in Casper on Monday.

The government has charged lead defendant Richard T. Serafin with possession of firearms not in the national firearms registration and transfer record, and possession of firearms to further a crime of violence, according to federal court records.

Serafin, who has been in custody since February, told an undercover law enforcement officer he intended to travel to the Mexican border and harm illegal immigrants after drug runners allegedly burned down his brother's house in Arizona, according to the affidavit filed with the criminal complaint filed on Feb. 5.

"Serafin stated that he is taking his firearms down to Arizona," wrote special agent Steve McFarland of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

"He added that he has a 'bad feeling' about what might happen in Arizona, once he gets there. Serafin also said that there may be fewer illegal Mexicans coming into the U.S. after he is there," McFarland wrote.

Serafin's jury trial is set for April 30 in Casper before Chief U.S. District Court Judge William Downes.

Neither prosecuting Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Healy nor lead federal public defender Robert Rogers could be reached for comment.

Three other defendants were named in the case: Jana Renae Serafin, Craig Shain and Kristine Jonelle Berwanger. Court documents did not indicate whether they had ties to militia groups.

They each face one count of making a false record in a gun transaction.

On Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Shickich released Shain and Berwanger on their own recognizance.

Jana Renae Serafin's arraignment is scheduled for Monday.

The ATF began investigating Serafin in March 2006 after the Atlanta office of the agency learned he illegally bought a silencer over the internet from Germany, McFarland wrote.

McFarland found Serafin's last known address was in the 2200 block of South Richard Street in Casper, and a Google search indicated he was a member or officer of an anti-government militia type group.

One site indicated Serafin was the "CO for the 045th BN/44th FF Central Wyoming Militia," and his e-mail address was the same as the one used in the purchase of the silencer, McFarland wrote.

McFarland, operating undercover, contacted Serafin by the Internet and expressed an interest in learning more about militias.

The two met on Nov. 2, and Serafin explained his racist views and how he ran a militia, McFarland wrote.

They met again on Dec. 12, and Serafin invited the agent to his house, he wrote.

While at his house in the 1200 block of West 13th Street, Serafin sold McFarland a handgun and showed him some other weapons including two sawed-off AR-15 .223-caliber rifles, and a fully automatic Fabrique Nationale, FAL, .308-caliber assault rifle, McFarland wrote.

The agent stayed in touch and they talked on Jan. 30 when Serafin said he planned to relocate to the Arizona-Mexico border.

Serafin also offered to sell him one of the AR-15 rifles, McFarland wrote.

During Serafin's detention hearing on Feb. 12, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Beaman agreed with the federal government that Serafin should be held in custody.

Beaman cited Serafin's remarks about taking violent action against illegal aliens and law enforcement agents, possessing weapons that had no use other than injuring or killing people, previous encounters with the law, anger management problems, potential flight risk, and the risk he will endanger others.

Reporter Tom Morton can be reached at (307) 266-0592, or at Tom.Morton@casperstartribune.net.