A former San Mateo Police officer who lives in Morgan Hill faces more than four years in prison for trying to obtain a firearm while he is charged with a previous felony offense, according to authorities.
His arraignment last week marked the second time in less than a year that the suspect, Robert Davies, has been accused of one or more crimes. In June 2019, Davies was arrested at his Morgan Hill home on accusations that he contacted a minor for criminal sexual purposes. He has been out of custody on bail awaiting trial in Santa Clara County for the 2019 charges.
Davies’ latest charges stem from his effort to purchase a firearm from In-Sight Sales gun shop in San Mateo Nov. 24, 2019, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe. When Davies, 41, filled out paperwork to obtain the firearm from the gun shop, he allegedly lied about his criminal background and committed perjury by submitting the false answers.
Specifically, Davies stated on the paperwork that he was not subject to a restraining order, and was not subject to prosecution under a court order, Wagstaffe said. In fact, Davies is subject to an Aug. 12 restraining order prohibiting him from contacting a witness in his previous case.
Wagstaffe said the gun shop staff sent Davies’ info to the Department of Justice, which quickly notified the store that the suspect had a pending felony charge and a restraining order against him. “DOJ referred the case to us. He didn’t get the gun because the paperwork was not completed,” Wagstaffe said.
Davies had attempted to purchase a rifle at the San Mateo gun shop, according to authorities.
The San Mateo County DA’s office conducted an investigation and arrested Davies, Wagstaffe said. He was arraigned last week on felony charges of perjury, unlawfully seeking to purchase a firearm and attempting to possess a firearm illegally.
Davies pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is out of custody on a “zero bail” schedule imposed during the Covid-19 crisis. His next hearing is scheduled for June 10, with a preliminary hearing set for June 29 at San Mateo County Courthouse.
Davies was a San Mateo Police officer when he was arrested in June 2019 on felony charges that he tried to contact a 16-year-old girl for sexual purposes. San Jose Police arrested him after conducting an investigation. An anonymous tipster had posed as a juvenile female in an online messaging application. The tipster was contacted by Davies, who continued to chat with the user about engaging in sexual activity even though he thought he was communicating with a 16-year-old girl, according to authorities.
The tipster notified San Jose Police, and Davies was subsequently arrested in Morgan Hill, according to authorities.
Davies is charged with contacting and communicating, and attempting to contact and communicate with a minor with knowledge and intent to commit crime in relation to the Santa Clara County case, according to authorities. His next hearing in that case is scheduled as a trial setting June 22 at Santa Clara County Superior Court, according to court records.
Davies was no longer a police officer by the time he tried to purchase a firearm in November, Wagstaffe said.
Davies had worked for the San Mateo Police Department since 2015. He has also worked for the Burlingame and Redwood City police departments, and served in the Marine Corps, according to his Linkedin profile.
If convicted on the charges related to the attempted firearms purchase, Davies could be sentenced to up to four years, 8 months in prison, Wagstaffe said.
