Source: Office of United States Attorneys
OAKLAND – An Oakland man was arrested yesterday on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jason Nious, 42, made his initial appearance in federal district court this morning.
According to the criminal complaint and court documents unsealed today, Oakland police encountered Nious on Sept. 18, 2024, while searching the 500 block of East 15th Street in Oakland for a different individual who had an active arrest warrant for gun possession. Officers saw Nious standing next to the wanted person and next to a car that was registered to Nious. Officers determined that Nious was a convicted felon, currently on probation. They then searched Nious’s car and found a gun with a live round in the chamber in a bag on the front passenger seat, along with a loaded 10-round magazine. Nious has prior convictions in Alameda County for human trafficking of a minor, providing controlled substances to a minor, and armed robbery.
Nious is next scheduled to appear in federal district court for a detention hearing on Dec. 23, 2024.
As detailed in the criminal complaint, the 500 block of East 15th Street in Oakland is within “the Blade,” an area surrounding International Boulevard between 5th Avenue and 23rd Avenue that is known throughout the Bay Area for its widespread pimping and pandering. The Blade also has seen a significant increase in other violent crimes in recent years. Consequently, this year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Oakland Police Department have been actively coordinating and increasing enforcement to combat sex trafficking and violent crime in the area.
United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp made the announcement.
A criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Nious faces a maximum sentence of 15 years and a fine of $250,000 on the count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). A court would impose any sentence following conviction after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ivana Djak is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Oakland Police Department.