Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RUBIN MOYE, a/k/a “Nut,” a high-ranking member of the Crips gang, was sentenced to 192 months in prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm and for ordering the assault of an individual he believed might testify against him. MOYE was convicted on April 28, 2017, following a one-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels, who also imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Rubin Moye illegally carried a loaded gun in the Bronx, and after he was caught red-handed, he ordered the violent assault of a suspected witness. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will aggressively prosecute those who threaten our communities with illegal guns. And we will not tolerate efforts to threaten or retaliate against witnesses who speak up about these crimes.”
According to the Complaint, the Indictment, other filings in Manhattan federal court, evidence at trial, and statements made in court proceedings:
On March 3, 2016, MOYE, a high-ranking member of the Crips gang, unlawfully possessed a loaded .38 caliber Taurus revolver (“the Firearm”) while driving in the Bronx, New York. When MOYE failed to signal a right turn, two New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officers conducted a routine traffic stop of MOYE’s vehicle. MOYE, who was driving without a license, could not produce identification. The officers asked MOYE to step out of the car and patted him down, discovering the Firearm inside MOYE’s pants. MOYE possessed the Firearm despite having previously been convicted of two felonies, including a conviction for manslaughter in 1999 stemming from an incident in which MOYE shot several individuals, killing one and wounding two others.
MOYE was subsequently charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), and he proceeded to trial in January 2017. In connection with that trial, which resulted in a hung jury, MOYE ordered inmates to assault an incarcerated individual (the “Victim”) who MOYE anticipated might testify against him at trial. As a result, during MOYE’s first trial, the Victim was violently attacked by two other inmates.
MOYE was retried in April 2017 and found guilty of the firearms offense, as well as of witness intimidation, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(a)(2), and of witness retaliation, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1513(a)(2).
In addition to the prison term, MOYE, 35, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the New York City Police Department, including members of the 43rd Precinct Anti-Crime Unit and the Violent Crimes Squad, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He also thanked the Office of the Bronx County District Attorney for its assistance.
