U.S. Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Task Force Secure 8-Year Sentence for Man on the FBI Most Wanted List (DOJ)

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A district judge sentenced a Belleville man to eight years in federal prison for possessing a machinegun. This federal sentence will run consecutively to any sentence imposed in a pending Missouri state court case.

Dontay Moore, Jr., 23, of Belleville, pleaded guilty in February to one count of unlawful possession of a machinegun. Moore is currently facing state court charges in St. Louis, Missouri for his alleged involvement in a drive-by-shooting resulting in serious injuries to bystanders, along with other firearms offenses. His federal sentence will be in addition to any sentence imposed in state court. Following imprisonment, Moore will serve three years of supervised release.

"Few things are more dangerous than a drive-by-shooting suspect on the FBI's Most Wanted list getting his hands on a machinegun," said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. "The Department of Justice and our Homeland Security Task Force are committed to aggressively removing these types of offenders from the streets."

Moore became the target of a manhunt in the summer of 2025 and was added to the FBI's "Most Wanted" list after authorities identified him as a suspect in a shooting in early June 2025 in St. Louis. Federal officials also offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to his capture after he evaded arrest at his Belleville residence in mid-June 2025. Officers with the Illinois State Police arrested Moore in September 2025.

"This sentence is a direct result of the seamless and relentless cooperation between our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners," said Ryan Presley, FBI Springfield Field Office's Special Agent in Charge. "From the initial investigation to the nationwide FBI manhunt and the ultimate arrest by the Illinois State Police, this case proves that regional borders do not protect criminals. By combining the strengths of multiple agencies through the Homeland Security Task Force, we will continue to pool our resources, hunt down dangerous fugitives, and make our communities safer."

"Illegal machineguns remain among the most dangerous weapons on our streets. With a single pull of the trigger, these firearms can unleash an extraordinary amount of firepower which significantly increases the likelihood that someone will be seriously injured or killed," said ATF Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon. "The unlawful possession of machineguns remains a top investigative priority for ATF, and we will continue to work with our HSTF partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who unlawfully possess these dangerous weapons."

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Chicago comprises agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, USPIS, IRS-CI, HIDTA, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois.

Agents with FBI, ATF, the Illinois State Police, and East St. Louis Police Department contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Trippi is prosecuting the case.