BELLEVILLE/EST ST. LOUIS – A Belleville, Illinois, man who pleaded guilty to possessing a machine gun was sentenced in federal court in East St. Louis to eight years in prison, authorities said, a punishment that will be served in addition to any sentence he may receive in a pending Missouri state case.
Dontay Moore Jr., 23, of Belleville, was sentenced by a district judge and will also serve three years of supervised release after his prison term. Moore pleaded guilty in February to one count of unlawful possession of a machine gun.
Federal authorities said the sentence will run consecutively to any sentence imposed in a pending state court case in St. Louis, Missouri, where Moore is facing charges tied to his alleged involvement in a drive-by shooting that resulted in serious injuries to bystanders, along with other firearms offenses.
Moore became the subject 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 said a $15,000 reward was offered 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 him in September 2025.
“Few things are more dangerous than a drive-by-shooting suspect on the FBI’s Most Wanted list getting his hands on a machine gun,” U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft said. “The Department of Justice and our Homeland Security Task Force are committed to aggressively removing these types of offenders from the streets.”
Ryan Presley, special agent in charge of the FBI Springfield Field Office, said the case reflected cooperation across agencies.
“This sentence is a direct result of the seamless and relentless cooperation between our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners,” Presley said.
“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,” Presley added. “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.”
Christopher Amon, special agent in charge of the ATF Chicago Field Division, said illegal machine guns remain a priority for investigators.
“Illegal machine guns 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,” Amon said. “The unlawful possession of machine guns 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.”
The prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, according to authorities. Officials said HSTF Chicago includes agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS-Criminal Investigation, HIDTA and DSS. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois.
Agents with the FBI, ATF, Illinois State Police, and East St. Louis Police Department contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Trippi is prosecuting the case.
