David Haskell Moore, a 69-year-old resident of Ardmore, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to five years of probation and 12 months of home detention for dealing firearms without a license. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced the sentencing.
The charges stemmed from an investigation conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). On May 9, 2024, Moore admitted guilt to illegally dealing in firearms. Investigators revealed that on September 6, 2023, U.S. border agents at the Port of Entry in Donna, Texas discovered 268 guns concealed behind a utility trailer's wall panel as they attempted entry into Mexico. ATF agents traced 24 of these firearms back to purchases made by Moore from legitimate dealers across Oklahoma and Texas before he resold them. At that time, Moore was not licensed to deal in firearms and had previously received a cease-and-desist letter from ATF agents in 2018 warning him against selling firearms without a Federal Firearms License.
"ATF’s commitment to keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of those that shouldn’t have them knows no boundaries," stated Jeffrey C. Boshek II, Special Agent in Charge at ATF Dallas Field Division. "As this case proves, Mr. Moore was knowingly dealing firearms without a license."
United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson commended the efforts of ATF agents, border patrol officers, and federal prosecutors for their work in reducing unlawful firearm trade.
The hearing took place under Chief U.S. District Judge Ronald A. White at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States during the proceedings.
