Convicted felon and sex offender sent to prison for possessing firearms, ammunition and meth

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 45-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been sentenced for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition in addition to possessing meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

A federal jury convicted Roberto Moya Dec. 12, 2023, following a two-day trial.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Moya to serve 75 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony that described the extent of Moya’s involvement in drug dealing. Evidence was also presented that depicted Moya fighting with guards at the jail. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Moya’s gang affiliations and his associations with known drug dealers resulted in the position he is in today.   

On May 25, 2022, law enforcement conducted a search at Moya’s residence as part of a narcotics investigation. Although he was not the target, the investigation led them to that location.

During the search, authorities discovered a Glock pistol and a fully loaded magazine along with five other bullets of various calibers. Law enforcement found them between the mattress and box spring of the bed inside Moya’s bedroom. Law enforcement also found three pistols throughout the house, a shotgun and five shotgun shells in the garage, to which only Moya had a key.

The investigation further revealed Moya was a convicted felon for robbery and failure to register as a sex offender. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Moya will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Gould prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.