Oakland Gambling Den Guard Released After No Link Found to Unsolved Murder

Ray Gilbert, 27, who had been working as a “security guard” at an illegal gambling den in Oakland, California, and was found in possession of a gun connected to an unsolved murder, has been released after authorities were unable to tie him to the killing.

Man Walks Free After Authorities Fail to Find Link Between Him and the Murder

Gilbert was initially arrested, along with three others, in July 2023 during a raid on the illegal casino. Several weeks later, a search of his home led to the discovery of a firearm that detectives said was used in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Mynyamani Stevenson in the parking lot of the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oakland on July 29, 2023.

Federal prosecutors later indicted Gilbert, alleging he was part of a “robbery crew” connected to Oakland’s Case Gang. Court documents state that the group targeted victims, including a man who had won money at the Livermore Casino, following him home and robbing him.

Assistant Federal Public Defender Gabriela Bischof, Gilbert’s lawyer, explained that the government’s evidence suggests Gilbert is linked to individuals and environments that may be considered negative influences. She argued that based on the facts presented, the Court cannot determine that her client personally engaged in violent conduct, nor should he be punished for associations.

Gilbert spent roughly two years in custody after the case was filed and, since his release, has secured a job at a warehouse in the East Bay. In court filings, Bischof said he has made a positive turn in his life. 

In other recent news related to illicit gambling dens, Taiwan police busted a multi-billion-dollar crime ring that used casinos in Macau to launder illicit funds.

Gilbert Had a Tough Life Which Pushed Him to Crime

Bischof explained that Gilbert has faced violence throughout his life, having been shot five times, the first incident occurring at age 13. His father was killed when Gilbert was just 5, and as an adult in 2021, he was bitten for 45 seconds by Purcy, the K9 handled by disgraced former Antioch officer Morteza Amiri. Earlier this year, Amiri was sentenced to federal prison for siccing his dog on a man without just cause.

Gilbert has repeatedly been targeted by law enforcement but has so far avoided extended prison sentences. In 2020, his phone was also wiretapped, along with those of six other individuals suspected of being affiliated with the Case Gang.

This was done in relation to the murder of 27-year-old Shawn Tillis in San Pablo, and the nonfatal shooting of an ex-Case member who’d been deemed a “snitch” by the gang. However, none of the suspects were ever charged.Speaking of shootings, a man was shot dead by police last week in Thackerville, Oklahoma, after he pulled out a gun when he was approached by officers.