OAKLAND — A 42-year-old Oakland man, who has nine prior felony convictions, was sentenced Friday to three years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to authorities and court records.
Jamaal Myers, who was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 25, 2019, had pleaded guilty to the charge on Nov. 8
Federal authorities said that in his plea agreement, Myers admitted that on June 15, 2019, he had a .45 caliber pistol, loaded with 11 rounds, in his possession, tucked into his waistband while he was at an Oakland liquor store. He was arrested at the store by Oakland police.
Myers admitted knowing at the time that he had previously been convicted of a number of felonies, including an Aug. 30, 2017 conviction for carrying a loaded firearm, for which he received a two-year state prison term.
According to a sentencing memo written by assistant federal public defender Joyce Leavitt, Myers’ probation officer wrote in a report that “the child welfare authorities . . . ultimately let him down,” and concluded “if ever a history of childhood trauma warranted a variance, it is this case.”
According to the memo, Myers is said to have suffered extensive childhood abuse from relatives and it appears he was in and out of the custody with Child Protective Services. Besides being abused, “as a child Mr. Myers also suffered (post traumatic stress disorder) from the street violence, and drugs in his surrounding neighborhoods,” Leavitt wrote.
The prosecution pointed out in its sentencing memo that this was Myers’ 10th felony conviction. Assistant United States Attorney Ajay Krishnamurthy said in the memo that Myers is a “career criminal whose affinity for firearms is especially concerning in light of his history of violence.”
Prosecutors asked for a 51-month custodial sentence while Leavitt asked the court for 36 months of custody followed by a three- years of supervised release, which is the sentence he received from U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar.
Myers is currently in federal custody.