Michael Robert Moura, Illegal Firearm Possession, Massachusetts 2021

A Stoughton man has been taken off the streets after pleading guilty to firearm offenses. Michael Robert Moura, 28, pleaded guilty on an unspecified date to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and one count of receipt and possession of an unregistered firearm.

U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. scheduled sentencing for October 11, 2022. Moura was arrested in April 2021.

According to the investigation, Moura sought to purchase a firearm on multiple occasions in 2020 and again in February 2021. On April 28, 2021, Moura purchased a Glock handgun, an assault rifle, pistol and rifle magazines, and over 100 rounds of ammunition in a parking lot in Brockton.

Following his arrest, the illegally obtained handgun, rifle, ammunition, and magazines were seized. Moura is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to an April 2020 conviction in Worcester County punishable by more than one year in prison.

The charges against Moura provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The investigation was led by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with valuable assistance provided by the Brockton and Stoughton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Tolkoff and Timothy Kistner of U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

Moura’s guilty plea marks a significant victory for law enforcement and the community. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of strict gun laws and the consequences of violating them.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/stoughton-man-pleads-guilty-illegal-possession-firearms