Monroe Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms

MONROE, La. – A Monroe resident was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for illegal possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

Corey Moses, 36, of Monroe, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James, for one count of possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony and one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. According to evidence presented at the November 15, 2013 guilty plea, Sterlington police officers stopped the vehicle Moses was driving for speeding on December 9, 2010. Moses consented to a search of the vehicle, and police found marijuana, two 9 mm pistols and one .380 caliber pistol. The two 9 mm pistols were stolen from another person. Moses had been previously convicted in Monroe of theft in 1996 and burglary in 1997. He was also convicted in October of 2007 in Providence, R.I., of carrying a firearm by a person convicted of a felony.

“Felons carrying weapons is a violation of federal law,” Finley stated. “The defendant’s situation was further complicated by also possessing an illegal substance and had stolen the weapons. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to vigorously prosecute felons who possess firearms while in possession of illegal drugs. Under our Project Safe Neighborhood Program, we have joined with our state and local partners to assure that convicted felons like Moses are identified, arrested and prosecuted. Our goal is to remove convicted felons, violent offenders, drug traffickers and others who carry and use firearms from our streets and neighborhoods. We want to make sure that each citizen feels safe and secure.”

The Sterlington Police Department, West Monroe Police Department, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide program to reduce violence by aggressively enforcing existing federal firearms and explosives laws.