Published on: March 30, 2026, 06:19h.
Updated on: March 30, 2026, 06:19h.
- Individual with firearm linked to murder avoids incarceration following sentencing
- Prosecutors admit lack of direct evidence connecting the suspect to the homicide
- Judge dismisses guilt by association claim, grants time served after two years
A man who was employed as a “security personnel” at an illegal gambling establishment in Oakland, California, has been released after being found in possession of a firearm associated with an unresolved murder, as reported by The Mercury News.
Ray Gilbert, aged 27, was taken into custody along with three others in July 2023 during a raid targeting the illicit operation. A subsequent home search revealed a second weapon, which investigators claimed had been utilized in the deadly shooting of 21-year-old Mynyamani Stevenson.
Federal prosecutors charged Gilbert, asserting he was part of a “robbery ring” linked to Oakland’s Case Gang. Court documents indicate that the gang’s targets included an individual who had won at the Livermore Casino and was subsequently followed home and robbed.
While Gilbert was not charged with murder or any homicide-related counts, prosecutors used the gun’s association to advocate for a stricter penalty.
Guilt by Association Argument
However, Gilbert’s attorney contended there was “no direct evidence” connecting her client to the murder and that the prosecution was depending on guilt by association.
“The evidence presented at most indicates that Mr. Gilbert has ties to individuals and locations deemed to have negative connotations. Given the facts, the Court cannot determine that Mr. Gilbert was directly responsible for any violent actions and should not penalize him due to associations rather than actions,” stated Assistant Federal Public Defender Gabriela Bischof.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers concurred, sentencing Gilbert to time served – approximately two years spent in jail awaiting his trial.
Bischof highlighted that Gilbert grew up amidst violence but has sought to transform his life, securing legitimate employment. His father was murdered when he was five, and he has survived five gunshot wounds.
“I believed I required protection,” Gilbert expressed, according to The Mercury News. “With my dad gone and friends lost, I thought this was necessary. However, I now realize that it is not…”
Ongoing Unsolved Murders
Stevenson was discovered deceased in the parking lot of the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oakland on July 29, 2023. A few weeks later, on August 16, Tatiana Brice, a 26-year-old mother, was found shot and killed in the East Oakland hills.
Court records reveal that Brice had previously indicated to attendees at underground gambling venues that she was connected to Stevenson’s murder.
To date, no charges have been filed in either case.