SAN FRANCISCO — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - California, Northern), published as received.
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Raya Man with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Rayfield Roundtree. Man is charged with having previously been convicted of three violent felonies; therefore, if convicted, Man faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Details about the incident leading to the charge appear in an affidavit from a Task Force Officer with the ATF filed January 28, 2020. According to the affidavit, on September 6, 2019, Man, 40, of San Francisco, engaged in a verbal argument with the proprietor of a nearby bar located in the Tenderloin neighborhood. Man allegedly walked away from the argument saying words to the effect of, “I will show you what a gangster is.” When Man returned a short time later, he allegedly followed the proprietor into his bar, drew a pistol, and pointed it at the proprietor while saying, “Would you believe I could kill you now?” The affidavit further alleges Man left the bar, immediately entered the single-occupancy restroom of a nearby bar, and exited the restroom seconds later. When Man exited the restroom, San Francisco Police Department officers detained him. Officers located a .45 caliber pistol loaded with seven live rounds of ammunition in the restroom’s wastebasket. In addition, the affidavit alleges Man was convicted of three violent felonies prior to September 6, 2019.
Man is charged with being in possession of a firearm and ammunition with three prior violent felony convictions, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(e). Man has remained in custody since his arrest on September 6, 2019. He made his initial appearance in federal court in San Francisco on February 4, 2020. His next scheduled appearance is at 10:30 a.m., on February 20, 2020, for a status conference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Man faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of $250,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
This case is part of the Federal Initiative for the Tenderloin, a multi-agency effort focusing on fighting crime in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Ewenstein is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Morgan Byrne. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF and the San Francisco Police Department.
