A Corpus Christi man, Roberto Moya, 45, has been sentenced to just over six years in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, and methamphetamine, the Justice Department reported earlier this week.
After a two-day trial that concluded on December 12, 2023, Moya was convicted and on Monday, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales decided to ultimately hand down a 75-month sentence. This comes with an additional three years of supervised release, according to a statement by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Morales highlighted Moya's gang ties and drug dealing connections, a past which appears to inexorably linger and shape his present.
It was during a search on May 25, 2022, unrelated to Moya but led there nonetheless, that officers stumbled upon the stash of weapons and the drug. The items were found strategically hidden, a Glock pistol with its accompanying loaded magazine and bullets buried between the mattress and box spring of his bed. More firearms, including three pistols and a shotgun along with five shotgun shells, were discovered scattered throughout the residence, access to which only Moya owned, the federal authorities reported.
Moya’s criminal history has painted a picture of a man long embattled with the law, including convictions for robbery and failing to properly register as a sex offender. This prior rap sheet makes his possession of firearms and ammunition a federal crime with severe consequences. As he awaits the impending transfer to a bureau prison, the felt residue of his decisions continues to render him further from society's embrace.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with help from Homeland Security Investigations and the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Gould led the prosecution. Additionally, Moya's case represents an example of the kind of targeted crime reduction that the Department of Justice seeks to address through Project Safe Neighborhoods — a concerted effort to decrease violent crime through collaboration and strategic enforcement, as reaffirmed by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in May 2021.
