Former Trooper Sentenced to 21 Years for Pharmacy Robberies

Jacksonville, Florida – A former Florida Highway Patrol Trooper has been sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for his role in a string of armed robberies at multiple pharmacies in Columbia County.

Jesse Rance Moore, 46, of Bell, was sentenced on November 2, 2023, by Visiting United States District Judge Larry A. Burns from the Southern District of California.

Moore was found guilty of four counts of Hobbs Act robbery and three counts of brandishing a firearm during the robberies. The court also ordered Moore to forfeit his firearm, which was used to commit the offenses.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the FBI first learned of a masked man robbing a string of pharmacies in the Columbia County area after the North Florida Pharmacy of Fort White was robbed at gun point on January 13, 2022.

The masked individual was captured on surveillance cameras walking into the pharmacy with a black handgun, demanding controlled substances, specifically oxycodone, OxyContin, and Percocet. After holding up multiple store employees and taking the controlled substances, the masked man exited the pharmacy and drove southbound on US Highway 27. A good Samaritan in the pharmacy’s drive-thru followed the getaway vehicle and captured the license plate number, which led back to Moore.

Further investigation revealed that the vehicles used in previous robberies matched the description of a white Ford F-350 registered to Moore or matched the vehicles Moore’s wife rented just days prior to the robberies. Law enforcement seized articles of clothing, multiple masks, the firearm, handwritten notes, and brown boots associated with the robberies.

During trial, evidence seized from Moore’s cellphone was presented to demonstrate that he had Googled medications stolen from the pharmacies, store hours of pharmacies, and a variety of key word searches, including the question “do drug stores get robbed in florida,” which he Googled just weeks prior to the first robbery.

Moore was employed as a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper from January 13, 2003, to February 27, 2017. He had several disciplinary issues during his term of employment, where he was twice terminated, but later reached settlement agreements to convert his dismissals to suspensions.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake City Police Department, the Chiefland Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.

Moore’s sentence of 21 years in federal prison is a significant blow to his family and community, but it serves as a reminder of the consequences of breaking the law and betraying the trust of the public.

Defendant: Jesse Rance Moore

Criminal Charges: Four counts of Hobbs Act robbery and three counts of brandishing a firearm during the robberies

City and State: Jacksonville, Florida

Exact Date: January 13, 2022 (crime date)

Sentence: 21 years in federal prison

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