OAKLAND - Marcus Jones was sentenced to ten years in prison and a $100,000 fine today after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Jon S. Tigar, United States District Judge.
On Aug. 11, 2017, Jones, 33, of Oakland, pleaded guilty without a written agreement to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). As part of the guilty plea, Jones admitted to possessing a firearm and ammunition after sustaining a felony conviction. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Tigar accepted the fact that Jones was arrested after he left Oakland International Airport and exited his vehicle near his residence. The judge found that when Jones was arrested, he possessed in his waistband a black.40 caliber fully loaded semi-automatic Glock handgun with a 22 round extended magazine. Jones also possessed a bulletproof vest, $19,478.00 in cash on his person, and an additional $14,980 in his luggage. Judge Tigar also found that additional items retrieved from Jones’s residence belonged to him; the additional items include an AK-47 assault rifle, 1,268 grams of marijuana, $240,280.00 in cash, and evidence of credit card fraud including credit-card-making devices. Judge Tigar concluded that all these items, including the Glock handgun found in defendant’s waistband during his arrest, were used to facilitate a drug trafficking operation. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Tigar stated:
Defendant’s attempt this morning to explain his possession of a firearm and a bulletproof vest because people are constantly shooting at him were unpersuasive. And the idea that he has no idea why it is that people in various locations in the United States are shooting at him is simply incredible. It defies belief.... When I include the relevant conduct, the nature and severity of the offense is greater than any felon in possession case that I have seen.... [The defendant] is a danger to the community."
A federal grand jury indicted Jones on April 6, 2017, charging him with a single count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Pursuant to his plea, defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.
In addition to the prison term and the $100,000 fine, Judge Tigar also sentenced Jones to a three-year period of supervised release, to commence after Jones completes his prison sentence. Jones has been in custody since his arrest and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Gullotta is prosecuting the case with assistance from Noble Hughes, Julissa Rey, and Katie Turner. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the San Leandro Police Department and the FBI.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
