James Moore, (Orlando), Sentenced to 40 years in Smash-and-Dash Gun Store Burglary Case

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution today announced a 40-year prison sentence for a defendant found guilty of a gun store burglary. James Moore previously entered an open plea to burglary of a structure while using a vehicle as an instrument and 35 counts of grand theft of a firearm. Moore is one of a larger group based in Orlando, using stolen vehicles to facilitate several types of smash-and-dash burglaries. The 20-member group stole from department and retail stores to steal guns, jewelry, electronics, sporting goods and more. Thursday, Judge Frances Perrone sentenced Moore to 40 years in prison.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “These criminals deliberately wrecked a Tampa store to steal firearms. Not only did they steal property, they also stole a sense of security from the surrounding neighborhood. I applaud the great work of my Office of Statewide Prosecution securing this strong prison sentence and continuing to seek prison time for the remaining defendants.”

According to an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the burglars traveled in stolen vehicles from Orlando to Tampa in the early morning hours of Nov. 29, 2016. Using a stolen Ford Raptor pick-up truck, the burglars smashed through a Tampa Arms Company store window on Waters Avenue. The burglars gained entry grabbing as many firearms as possible in a short amount of time. In total, the burglars stole 35 firearms, including 21 handguns, 11 rifles and three shotguns that were later sold on the streets of Orlando. 

In May, a jury convicted other members of the group, Jehosthat Brady, Demarcus Marsh and Quinton Montgomery, as charged before Judge Michelle Sisco. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 29, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. and face a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Cass Castillo and Paul Dontenville handled the case.

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