Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

SAN JOSE – Bobby Wade was sentenced today to eight years in prison, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jill Snyder.  The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Ronald M. Whyte, United States District Judge, following a trial earlier this year.     

On June 1, 2016, following a four-day trial, a jury convicted Wade, 36, of San Jose, of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  During the trial, evidence showed that on June 29, 2015, San Jose police officers responded to a 911 call during which the caller reported two men brandishing guns in downtown San Jose.  The officers spotted Wade and another man who matched the descriptions provided by the 911 caller.  When ordered to stop, Wade fled on foot and threw a loaded semi-automatic pistol over a fence while briefly out of the sight of pursuing officers.  The pistol was found and investigators later linked Wade to the pistol through DNA testing, incriminating text messages found on his cell phone, and recorded calls Wade placed from jail urging associates to go looking for the gun.  Wade was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 17, 2015.  He was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). 

In addition to the prison term, Judge Whyte sentenced Wade to a three-year term of supervised release.  Wade was immediately remanded to custody after sentencing.       

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Edelman and Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Bostic prosecuted the case with the assistance of Patricia Mahoney, Elise Etter, Yolanda Singletary, and Sutton Peirce.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF.

Further Information:

            Case #: CR 15-458-RMW                                            

            A copy of this press release will be placed on the U.S. Attorney's Office's website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can. 

            Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

            Judges' calendars with schedules for upcoming court hearings can be viewed on the court's website at www.cand.uscourts.gov. 

            All press inquiries to the U.S. Attorney's Office should be directed to Abraham Simmons at (415) 436-7264 or by e-mail at Abraham.Simmons@usdoj.gov.