Jeffrey Caldwell, a 37-year-old resident of Vallejo, has been sentenced to 14 years and seven months in federal prison for illegal possession of ammunition. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins after a jury found Caldwell guilty on May 13, 2025.
Caldwell is legally barred from possessing firearms or ammunition due to his criminal history, which includes 14 prior felony convictions such as assault, burglary, and stalking.
According to court records and evidence presented during the trial, the incident took place on December 16, 2024. Multiple guests at a Vallejo motel called emergency services to report that Caldwell was firing a gun inside the building. Officers from the Vallejo Police Department responded quickly and evacuated the premises. Caldwell then barricaded himself in his room and refused to surrender.
The police deployed their SWAT and Hostage Negotiation Teams, resulting in a standoff that lasted several hours into the next morning. The standoff ended when chemical agents were used to force Caldwell out of his room. He attempted to escape but was arrested soon after.
A search did not find a firearm on Caldwell’s person. However, officers discovered a large hole in the bathroom wall of his motel room containing various items including clothing, bear spray, and a pistol. The firearm was identified as a ghost gun—a privately manufactured weapon without a serial number—and it contained one round of ammunition in the chamber.
The investigation involved cooperation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vallejo Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Campbell and R. Alexander Cárdenas prosecuted the case.
“This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vallejo Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,” according to U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative designed to reduce violent crime through collaboration among law enforcement agencies and community organizations. In May 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice announced enhancements to PSN focused on trust-building with communities, supporting violence prevention groups, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
