Violent Vallejo felon pleads guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on eve of trial

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - One day before his scheduled jury trial, Cole Martin, 42, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Martin was a parolee at large who had absconded from supervision in late 2023 after serving more than nine years in state prison for a felony robbery conviction. On Aug. 14, 2025, parole agents located Martin living at a residence in Vallejo and executed a warrant to apprehend him. While inside the residence, agents arrested Martin but noticed firearm parts, ammunition, and suspected drug residue inside the house. They received court authority to search the house and discovered the two guns charged in this case: a loaded Springfield 9 mm firearm, and a loaded KelTec .32-caliber gun, as well as other contraband.

The Solano County Sheriff's Office, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole M. Vanek and Jason Hitt are prosecuting the case.

Martin has been detained on the federal charge since September 2025. He will remain detained pending his sentencing.

Martin is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on March 8, 2027. Martin faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.