Convicted Felon With Prior Domestic Violence Conviction Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Ammunition
MEMPHIS, TN– Daniel Moore, 33, has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition and possession of ammunition after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the guilty plea today.
According to information presented in court, on January 28, 2019, at approximately 10:58 PM, Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call at a McDonald’s restaurant on Houston Levee road.
The restaurant manager observed a male exiting a light blue Toyota Camry appear to have a seizure. The male was later identified as the defendant, Daniel Moore. According to the manager, Moore left the doors to the vehicle open and there appeared to be a child in the backseat with no coat, socks or shoes. When officers arrived on the scene, they observed the Toyota Camry occupied by a crying four-year-old female child in the rear-driver seat. The child was later released to the custody of her grandmother.
Officers also observed a non-responsive adult female, 31, in the front driver’s seat. Law enforcement extracted her from the vehicle and carried her into the restaurant and administered CPR and Narcan, at which time she started to breathe. Paramedics arrived on the scene and transported her to Regional One for medical treatment. She was later arrested for the felony offense of child abuse and neglect; however, that charge was dismissed in state court.
Shortly thereafter Moore entered the McDonald’s restaurant and inquired about his daughter and wife. He admitted to law enforcement on body worn camera footage that he and the adult female had just ingested heroin. Officers asked if he had any more heroin in the vehicle. Moore answered "no." Officers also asked Moore for oral consent to search his vehicle, and he gave consent.
Deputies recovered a box of 5.56 ammunition in the glove compartment of the Toyota Camry. The defendant admitted that he was attempting to sell the ammunition. Officers also recovered a used syringe, a spoon containing a small-dirty cotton ball, an electronic scale and a kit containing cotton, alcohol swabs, and tourniquets.
On May 15, 2019, law enforcement examined the recovered ammunition and determined it was not manufactured in the State of Tennessee and therefore, at some point, traveled in interstate and/or foreign commerce. Moore is a prohibited person with approximately eight prior felony convictions and a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Reducing violent crimes committed with firearms is the top priority of this office and the Department of Justice. Prohibited persons in possession of firearms or ammunition, such as convicted felons, persons with histories of domestic violence, and unlawful users of illegal narcotics present a known and immediate risk of violence to their families and the community at large. This is exactly the type of dangerous offender that the PSN Task Force is designed to target, and I commend their work in holding Moore responsible and removing him from our streets."
Sentencing is scheduled for September 3, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman where the defendant faces up to 10 years imprisonment followed by three years supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. This case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy K. Cornejo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
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