Oakland Gambling Den Guard Walks Free: No Link Found to 2023 Unsolved Murder
In a significant turn for a case involving illegal gambling, gang allegations, and a cold-case homicide, Ray Gilbert has been released from federal custody.
Gilbert, 27, was initially thrust into the spotlight following a 2023 raid on an illicit Oakland gambling operation where he worked as a security guard. However, despite the discovery of a high-profile weapon at his residence, authorities have officially failed to connect him to the underlying violence that led to his arrest.
The Weapon and the Church Parking Lot Killing
The case against Gilbert escalated sharply several weeks after his initial arrest in July 2023. During a search of his home, investigators recovered a firearm that ballistic tests linked to a tragic unsolved murder.
On July 29, 2023, 21-year-old Mynyamani Stevenson was fatally shot in the parking lot of the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oakland. While the gun found in Gilbert’s possession was identified as the murder weapon, federal authorities were unable to provide evidence that Gilbert himself pulled the trigger or participated in the slaying.
“Guilt by Association”
Assistant Federal Public Defender Gabriela Bischof centered her defense on the distinction between an individual’s environment and their personal actions.
Federal prosecutors had alleged that Gilbert was a member of a “robbery crew” tied to Oakland’s notorious Case Gang, a group accused of targeting high-stakes winners from legitimate establishments like the Livermore Casino. Bischof argued:
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The government’s evidence only linked Gilbert to “negative influences” and risky environments.
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The Court could not determine that Gilbert personally engaged in violent conduct.
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Mere association should not be grounds for extended punishment.
“Based on the facts presented, the Court cannot determine that [Gilbert] personally engaged in violent conduct,” Bischof stated in court filings.
