Department of Justice

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Modesto, California, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on January 30, 2023.

Zachery Moore, 29, was sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Moore was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in October of 2021. He pleaded guilty on September 23, 2022.

In July of 2021, in Rapid City, South Dakota, Moore, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was found in possession of a stolen Kimber, model Micro 9, 9mm, semi-automatic pistol, which was found after Moore came into contact with law enforcement. Moore was also found in possession of heroin and other drug distribution materials.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

Moore was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.