United States of America v. Robert Jordan

Sacramento, California, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On Oct. 1, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on a silver Infiniti SUV with no license plates that Robert Jordan, 52, of Stockton, was driving. In the location where the license plates should have been, the SUV instead had a laminated piece of paper that said “PRIVATE.” During the ensuing traffic stop, Jordan told the officers that he had a pistol in the SUV’s center console. Jordan is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior California felony conviction for attempted murder. The officers searched the center console and found a loaded Smith & Wesson revolver.

Jordan was initially charged in San Joaquin Superior Court. Jordan, who is a member of the so-called “sovereign citizen” movement, began harassing government employees in an attempt to intimidate them into dropping his case. His conduct escalated into threats to file frivolous lawsuits and property liens against members of the court and prosecution team. Eventually, Jordan filed more than $10 million in Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) liens against the prosecutor, the judge, and court staff.

Later, Jordan was indicted on federal charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. After firing his court-appointed defense attorney, Jordan chose to represent himself. Jordan was advised about potential consequences of filing frivolous liens against federal employees. Apparently undaunted, Jordan’s obstreperous behavior continued: he refused to withdraw the unjust liens he had filed against the state officials, made further UCC filings naming the federal court and federal prosecutors as potential targets of future liens, and attempted to initiate a seven-figure lawsuit against members of the prosecution team.

The Stockton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt and Charles Campbell are prosecuting the case.

Jordan is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. Jordan faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The Defendant was found guilty.