–A Bode man has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm in US District Court after he was arrested for trying to buy and sell different guns in late 2024.
According to a release from the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa, 37-year-old Lawrence Moore of Bode entered the guilty plea at the Federal courthouse in Sioux City last week. Moore was previously convicted of Armed Robbery and Aggravated Battery in Illinois, which prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
At the plea hearing, evidence was presented that showed Moore had been in negotiations to buy and sell firearms to other people. In the fall of 2024, Moore communicated with an undercover agent in an attempt to buy or trade a weapon with the agent.
On November 18th, 2024, a search warrant was executed at Moore’s home, where a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol was found inside a void cut into a mattress. Law Enforcement officials also found drugs and drug paraphernalia during the search.
Moore will be sentenced at a later date, as he remains in custody of the US Marshals Service. He faces up to 15 years in Federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
