ANCHORAGE, AK – A pair of Anchorage men are facing serious time after a jury found them guilty yesterday in connection with the brazen March 2018 robbery of the Credit Union One branch on Eureka Street. John Pierce, 30, and Michael Wayne Moore, 46, were convicted on all counts after a grueling seven-day trial, bringing a long-awaited resolution to the case.
Prosecutors proved that on March 13, 2018, Pierce stormed into the Credit Union One, brandishing a handgun equipped with a laser sight. Dressed in a disguise – light-colored mask, dark pants, gloves, camouflage coat, and shockingly, red shoes – Pierce demanded cash from tellers, making off with approximately $15,000. He then fled westbound, jumping into a red Chevrolet Lumina driven by Moore, who was waiting nearby. It was a sloppy getaway, and the pair didn’t realize just how much evidence was stacking against them.
Anchorage Police Department officers, working alongside FBI special agents, quickly zeroed in on Moore as the getaway driver. Surveillance footage captured the vehicle, the driver, and even a partial license plate, leading investigators directly to him. Moore initially lied to investigators, claiming he was in the area to transport narcotics, a transparent attempt to cover his tracks. What he *didn’t* know was that he already had a record – three prior bank robbery convictions in the District of Alaska. The feds weren’t buying his story.
A search of the Lumina turned up damning evidence linking it to the Credit Union One robbery, including the mask worn by Pierce. Investigators then utilized cell phone location analysis and other investigative techniques to positively identify Pierce as the masked gunman. The evidence was airtight, and the jury didn’t hesitate. This wasn’t some amateur operation; it was a calculated crime that ultimately crumbled under the weight of solid police work and forensic analysis.
Both Pierce and Moore were found guilty of conspiracy to commit credit union robbery, armed robbery of a credit union, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the robbery. Now, they face a grim future. Each man could receive up to 25 years in federal prison, with an additional consecutive seven-year sentence tacked on for the firearm charge – a potential total of 32 years behind bars. The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, along with the Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST), deserve credit for their relentless investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Alexander and Karen Vandergaw of the District of Alaska, along with Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, successfully prosecuted the case. This conviction sends a clear message: armed robbery won’t be tolerated in Alaska, and those who choose to prey on financial institutions will face the full force of federal law. Sentencing is pending.
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Key Facts
- State: Alaska
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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