Oakland Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Federal Prison For Firearms Trafficking And Possession

OAKLAND - Robert Earl Davis was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for dealing firearms without a license and illegally possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín handed down the sentence.

At the conclusion of a week-long trial in February 2025, a jury found Davis guilty of one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition as a felon. The jury acquitted Davis of a second count of being a felon in possession of firearms.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between August 2020 and December 2021, Davis regularly traveled between Texas and California, purchasing firearms in Texas that he shipped to the East Bay. Davis advertised and sold the firearms for profit using social media platforms and mobile communications. Over this period of time, Davis trafficked and sold dozens of firearms, most of which were illegal under California law. In addition, on Dec. 21, 2022, a federal task force executed a search warrant on Davis's residence and vehicle, where they found a firearm hidden in a hole in the wall and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in various calibers.

United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Topper made the announcement.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Martínez-Olguín also sentenced Davis to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered him to pay a $200 special assessment. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Mateer and Jonah Ross are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kevin Costello, Mark DiCenzo, and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF, Alameda County Sheriff's Office, and Fort Worth (TX) Police Department.