Ismail J. Ramsey, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California
Michael Tatum, a resident of Oakland, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White.
Tatum, aged 35, had entered a guilty plea on January 23, 2024, admitting to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, breaching 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). During a search of Tatum's home in February 2022, law enforcement discovered his illegal possession of five loaded firearms. Among them were two assault rifle-style weapons and two with high-capacity magazines, alongside one stolen firearm. Additionally, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and $148,531.05 in U.S. currency were seized. At the time of the offense, Tatum had an existing felony conviction.
The announcement of the sentence was made by Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge White ordered Tatum to undergo a three-year supervised release period and to relinquish any claims on the confiscated firearms, ammunition, and cash. Tatum is scheduled to commence his sentence on July 22, 2025.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Dahlke and Charles Bisesto, with assistance from Laurie Worthen and Amala James. The investigation was conducted by HSI and the California Highway Patrol.
