Defendant Threatened to Shoot Assistant Attorney General During Contempt Proceedings
WASHINGTON - Brian Moore, 45, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to eight years in prison on two counts of obstruction of justice and two counts of threatening a D.C. public official on two separate occasions in April and June of 2018, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Moore was found guilty of these offenses on May 31, 2019, following a trial in the District of Columbia Superior Court before the Honorable Milton Lee.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 30, 2017, Moore was charged with a civil protection order violation in a D.C. Office of the Attorney General (“OAG") contempt case (“the CPO violation case"). The complainant, R.G., was the OAG prosecutor assigned to that case.
Moore developed animosity towards R.G. after multiple contested hearings. On April 12, 2018, Moore told his lawyer, J.H., that he intended to shoot R.G. because of her role and actions in the case, during a break in proceedings. J.H. told Moore that he would not tolerate such statements and that J.H. would inform the court if Moore made such statements again, Moore informed J.H. that he was joking and agreed not to threaten R.G. again.
On June 29, 2018, following another hearing in which R.G. represented the District of Columbia in the CPO case; Moore exited the courtroom and stepped out into the hallway. Speaking with J.H. in the hallway, Moore made a statement to the effect of, “If I lose my job I’m going to bust a cap in that bitch," referring to complainant prosecutor R.G. After J.H. ordered Moore not to make any further threats regarding R.G., Moore responded with words to the effect of, “Fuck you. Fuck her. I’m going to bust a cap in that bitch." J.H. directed Moore back into the courtroom, informed the presiding judge about the threats that the defendant had made, and explained to the judge that he believed Moore was serious about the threats. The judge then took Moore into custody, and he was subsequently charged in the instant case.
After a three-day trial, the jury convicted Moore on each count of the indictment. At sentencing today, Judge Lee sentenced Moore to 48 months in prison for the obstruction of justice and 10 months in prison for threatening a D.C. Public Official on April 12, 2019, concurrent to one another, and 48 months in prison for the obstruction of justice and 10 months in prison for threatening a D.C. Public Official on June 29, 2018, with these offenses running concurrent to one another but consecutive to the April 12offense.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who assisted the case from the U.S. Marshals Service. She also acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including paralegal specialist Antoinette Sakamsa, Leif Hickling and Paul Howell from the Litigation Technology Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Lisa Gabriel, Nick Coleman, and Katherine Kelley from the Appellate Division, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Gilmore who investigated and tried the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole McClain who handled the case at sentencing.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
