Department of Justice

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging WILLIAM MOORE, 39, of Waterbury, with drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

 

The indictment was returned on April 10, 2019.  Moore appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and pleaded not guilty to the charges.  He has been detained since February 25, 2019, when he was arrested on related state charges.

 

The indictment alleges that, on February 25, 2019, Moore possessed heroin and crack cocaine that he intended to distribute, and a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun.

 

It is further alleged that Moore’s criminal history includes felony convictions in New York for assault in the first degree and assault in the second degree.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

 

The indictment charges Moore with one count of possession of cocaine base (“crack”) and heroin with intent to distribute, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years.

 

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Waterbury Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.

 

This prosecution has been brought though Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.