Press Release: District Attorney Jim Farrell announced today that Shamell Moore, 25, of Monticello, N.Y. was sentenced in Sullivan County Court by Judge Frank LaBuda to 4 ½ years in state prison and 5 years of post-release supervision for his possession of an illegal and loaded 9 mm handgun in the Village of Monticello.  Farrell said that, when he entered his guilty plea, Moore admitted to possessing a loaded handgun, which was discovered during a vehicle and traffic stop on Broadway in Monticello on March 24, 2018.  Farrell said that, during the stop, Monticello Police patrol officers detected the strong odor of marihuana and subsequently discovered both Moore and another back seat passenger to be in possession of that drug. 

The other passenger with Moore was Juan Pena, also 25, of Monticello, who was sentenced in March of 2019 to a state prison term for his role in connection with the shooting of another man in the Village of Monticello in 2017 which was still under active police investigation at the time of this car stop.  When exiting the vehicle, Moore removed a jacket he was wearing, which contained the loaded handgun.  When the gun was discovered, Moore resisted arrest, fled the scene and a foot pursuit ensued, with Moore having to be tased in order to be taken into custody.  Farrell said he recommended that Moore be sentenced to 9 years in state prison as a result of his actions, his character and his position, as reported by Monticello Police, as a member of the Bloods street gang, specifically, the “Guns, Money, Bitches” set, in Monticello. 

Moore was recently served a trespass affidavit ordering him to stay out of the Evergreen Housing Authority property after a shooting that occurred there in April of this year; no one was hurt or struck by the gunfire.  That shooting is still under active investigation by Monticello Police.  Under the terms of his plea, Moore faced a minimum sentence of 3 ½ years and a maximum of 9 years in state prison. 

Farrell said, “I am very disappointed in the sentence handed down in this case and believe more time was warranted.  I firmly believe that the Monticello Police prevented this gun from being used in an act of violence in our community and this gun in the hands of this defendant or in the hands of Pena, posed a significant threat to all law abiding citizens of our community.  This car stop, first for a simple traffic infraction, escalated into a very dangerous situation as a result of the actions of this defendant and posed a clear and present danger to the two officers and they performed their duties with professionalism and skill and stopped violence in its tracks.  I thank our officers for protecting us and getting this gun off the streets and out of the defendant’s hands.”