United States v. Moore, No. 13-2905 (7th Cir. 2014)
Annotate this CaseMoore went out to steal a car, armed with a loaded semiautomatic pistol. He had been offered $5,000 for a high-end automobile. Seeing Heliotis getting into a BMW, Moore approached the open driver’s window, and, according to Heliotis, pressed his gun to her temple and told her to get out. She did not immediately comply. Moore repeated his demand and, according to Heliotis, threatened to shoot and kill her. Moore opened the car door; Heliotis ran. Moore sped off in the BMW. Heliotis flagged down police, and a radio alert was issued. Officers spotted the car and gave chase. After colliding with other vehicles, Moore abandoned the car and tried to run. He was apprehended and taken back to the scene of the carjacking, where Heliotis identified him. In the abandoned BMW, police found Moore’s gun and copies of his birth certificate and Social Security card. After being advised of his rights, Moore admitted having stolen Heliotis’s BMW while armed, but stated that he never pointed the gun at her and never intended to harm her. Moore was convicted of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, 18 U.S.C. 924(c)(1)(A), but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the predicate crime of violence: taking a motor vehicle by force or intimidation with the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm, 18 U.S.C. 2119. The Seventh Circuit vacated the firearm conviction, expressing concern that the jury's inability to render a verdict on the first count indicated that it was not prepared to render a verdict on Count Two. The court’s decision to solicit a partial verdict contributed to the premature verdict. The court upheld Moore’s additional conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The court issued a subsequent related opinion or order on August 22, 2014.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.