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Press Release

Former East Bay Resident Sentenced To Over 7 Years In Prison For Being A Felon In Possession Of A Firearm

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California

OAKLAND – Ray Lee Howard was sentenced today to 92 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., U.S. District Judge, handed down the sentence.

Howard, 47, previously of Oakland, pleaded guilty to the charge on October 23, 2018.  According to his plea agreement, Howard admitted that on July 20, 2018, he brought a loaded semi-automatic assault rifle into the residence of a woman with whom, pursuant to a protective order, he was prohibited from having contact.  Howard also was not permitted to possess firearms and ammunition because he previously had been convicted of felonies.  The assault rifle included a magazine loaded with nine rounds of .223 caliber bullets.  Howard acknowledged that he concealed the rifle and magazine in a black fabric guitar case that he brought into the woman’s home.  

On August 23, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Howard charging him with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).  Howard pleaded guilty to the charge.  

Judge Gilliam also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release to follow the prison term.  The defendant currently is in custody and will begin serving the sentence immediately.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Green is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Noble Hughes and Elyza Delgado.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
 

Updated February 4, 2019

Topic
Firearms Offenses