A 56-year-old Pleasant Hill man is facing 11 felony charges after investigators say they found 12 firearms and more than 3,700 rounds of ammunition stashed inside his Babbette Court home, in what authorities believe was a direct violation of a 2025 restraining order that stripped him of his right to own guns.
According to court records cited by the East Bay Times, police seized seven rifles, four pistols, a shotgun, various firearm parts, and the cache of ammunition during the raid on the Pleasant Hill home. The resident was not home at the time, court records show. He was charged on September 1 with 11 felony counts of unlawful firearm activity and one misdemeanor count of violating a protective order, and he pleaded not guilty to the charges the following day, per the same court records.
The case traces back to 2025, when the man pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to probation, according to court records. That conviction carried a 10-year firearm prohibition, while the restraining order authorities say followed it separately barred him from possessing firearms — and why the raid, which court records indicate authorities carried out in May 2026, is now the basis for a felony case rather than a simple compliance check.
Why a Misdemeanor Conviction Meant a Lifetime Gun Ban
Under California Penal Code § 29805, anyone convicted under Penal Code § 273.5 on or after January 1, 2019 faces a lifetime ban on owning, buying, or possessing firearms, according to the California Department of Justice. Separately, possessing a firearm while subject to a court protective order violates Penal Code § 29825, a “wobbler” offense that can be charged as a felony carrying up to three years in state prison per count, as detailed by the Shouse Law Group.
Those statutes work alongside Assembly Bill 732, which took effect in January 2024 and requires verification that prohibited people no longer have firearms, ammunition, or components, according to Contra Costa County. Contra Costa's own domestic violence restraining order procedures are even stricter, requiring restrained individuals to turn in, sell, or store their firearms and ammunition within 24 hours of being served and file proof with the court within 48 hours. If the court finds the person noncompliant, the judge will tell law enforcement to collect the guns and tell the District Attorney's Office about the violation, per the county's Family Justice Center.
A Dedicated Task Force Behind the Raid
The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office created a specialized Gun Violence Prevention Task Force in July 2024, partnering with the county's Employment and Human Services Department specifically to enforce firearm relinquishment orders like the one in this case, per Contra Costa County. The urgency behind that enforcement is backed by data the DA's office has published showing that a firearm's presence in a domestic violence situation increases the likelihood of homicide by 500 percent, according to Stay Safe Contra Costa.
Research suggests the stakes extend beyond any single case. This case illustrates how a protective order can lead to a court-ordered firearm removal in California.
Released Without Bail Pending Next Hearing
Court records show the Pleasant Hill man was released from jail without bail on September 2. He is next due in court on September 23, according to court records.
The case involves a seizure of firearms and ammunition from a Pleasant Hill home.
