A St. Joe man who fired gunshots into the air during a fight outside a local bar pleaded guilty on Tuesday to firearms charges.

Justin Helms was charged after an incident May 12 outside the HiHo Bar at 1817 Frederick. He told Circuit Judge Patrick Robb that he and some friends got into a fight with several other people outside the bar, and he pulled a 9 mm pistol from their vehicle and fired into the air three or four times. He admitted he was intoxicated at the time.

Helms was found guilty of unlawful use of a weapon while intoxicated, a class-e felony which carries a maximum prison term of four years. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors have agreed to recommend probation, but the judge appeared skeptical because of a pending probation violation in another case, and because the defendant appeared to have forgotten the terms of that probation.

The judge noted that Helms was on probation for DWI at the time of the incident, and was likely ordered not to consume alcohol as part of his probation. Robb asked Helms if he had a drinking problem. The defendant said he didn’t think so, and that he’d made it through the last two months without drinking. But he said he would welcome an opportunity to take part in the court’s treatment program.

Judge Robb ordered a sentence assessment report and a treatment assessment report, and scheduled sentencing August 28 at 3:15 pm.

Helms, 29, is free on a personal recognizance bond. On Tuesday, defense lawyer Christopher Belts asked the judge to amend conditions of the bond. He’d like to remove the SCRAM alcohol-monitoring device, which the defendant must pay for himself. But Judge Robb refused.

A probation violation hearing in the other case is scheduled July 25 at 1:30 pm before Associate Judge Rebecca Spencer.