Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
A Mobile man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon during an attempted home invasion that resulted in the death of one of the suspects.
Court records show that Okoye Jabrayll Day, 23, was arrested by Mobile Police Department officers after they responded to a call about a home invasion at an apartment complex on April 16, 2024. The victim told police that several people tried to break into his apartment and that he fired at the intruders before locking himself in his bathroom. Another resident reported hearing gunshots and saw Day, who uses a wheelchair, leaving the scene with a gun.
Police arriving at the scene found one of the suspected burglars dead from a gunshot wound outside the apartment. The doorjamb had been damaged from being kicked in, and there were bullet holes in the walls and ceiling. Officers later found Day in another building and arrested him after he discarded a loaded Glock .45 caliber pistol into nearby bushes. Video footage from a Ring doorbell camera showed Day, along with the deceased suspect and two other unidentified men, attempting to force entry into the apartment.
During an interview with police, Day admitted having the gun for protection because he had previously been shot and paralyzed. He also said he threw away the weapon because he was under supervision for prior convictions. At the time of this incident, Day had felony convictions for first-degree receiving stolen property and discharging a firearm into an occupied building, making it illegal for him to possess firearms under federal law.
United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Day to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release with requirements for mental health evaluation and treatment. No fine was imposed, but Day must pay $100 in special assessments and has forfeited his pistol and ammunition.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced the sentence.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Mobile Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted on behalf of the United States.
According to officials, this prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice focused on combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and reducing violent crime through collaboration between agencies such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
