Lawrence Moore, 37, from Bode, Iowa, was sentenced on September 4, 2025, to 96 months’ imprisonment. On April 10, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, Moore pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Moore was previously convicted of Armed Robbery and Aggravated Battery (three times) in Cook County, Illinois. The convictions prohibited Moore from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that Moore was involved in negotiations for the buying and selling of firearms to other people. During the fall of 2024, Moore communicated with an undercover agent, attempting to buy or trade a firearm with the agent. Moore also discussed selling marijuana to the agent. On November 18, 2024, a search warrant was executed at Moore’s residence. Law enforcement located and seized a Smith & Wesson Model 59 semi-automatic pistol, which Moore had referenced previously to the agent. The fully loaded firearm was located inside a void cut into the mattress in the bedroom shared by Moore and his wife. Law enforcement also located and seized marijuana and drug use paraphernalia in the residence, including in the bedroom.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Moore was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment and must serve three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Moore remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.