MARTINEZ, Calif. — In a case that reflects the sweeping impact of California’s evolving juvenile justice reform laws, Gabriel “Snoop” Roberson, 49, who has served decades in prison for a 1994 Antioch shooting, reached a new plea agreement overturning his multiple life sentences and making him eligible for release within five years.
Roberson has long maintained his innocence, and on Nov. 3, 2025, he pleaded no contest to one count of voluntary manslaughter and four counts of attempted murder with a gang enhancement. He was resentenced to 35 years in prison, and with credit for time served, he now stands to do five years or less. The exact calculation will be determined by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
The plea agreement follows recent juvenile justice reforms in California that reopened cases in which individuals were tried as adults despite being minors at the time of the alleged offenses. Roberson was 17 when the shooting occurred and charges were filed.
The April 17, 1994 shooting took place at the Antioch Veterans Hall, where five bystanders were shot following a reported gang-related conflict earlier that day. Twenty-six-year-old Jorge Franco died from his injuries, and one of the suspected shooters, Carlos “Blackbird” Ramirez, was killed during a SWAT standoff four years later.
Roberson received only one parole hearing during his incarceration, which took place in 2020. When asked why he believed he deserved parole, he responded, “I’m suitable because I never even committed the crime I’m in here for… I don’t care what the law says, I’m not guilty.”
His case has become a point of discussion and cultural reference in the East Bay, particularly within underground rap circles. The late Antioch rapper Woodie (Ryan Wood) referenced Roberson in multiple songs suggesting his innocence. In 2022, Pittsburgh rapper A-Wax released a track claiming Woodie confessed to the shooting before his death, reigniting debate and accusations of wrongful conviction.
Prosecutors and defense counsel reportedly negotiated the recent plea deal as Roberson appeared increasingly likely to overturn his conviction entirely under new legal standards affecting juvenile sentencing. Reports also indicate the original trial may have relied on questionable testimony, including an eyewitness who was under the influence at the time of identification.
As a condition of the agreement, Roberson waived his right to future appeals and remains incarcerated at Solano State Prison in Vacaville, Calif.
Roberson’s resentencing marks a significant shift in a decades-old case and underscores how reforms surrounding youth sentencing and accountability continue to reshape both historic and current convictions.
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