Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Rock Island Felon to Serve Seven Years in Federal Prison for Ilegally Possessing Firearm
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – On Sept. 16, 2019, Chief U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow sentenced Matthew Eric Moultrie, 20, of Rock Island, Ill., to seven years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Judge Darrow ordered that the federal sentence be served consecutively to two other criminal cases Moultrie has in Rock Island County.
On March 9, 2019, Moultrie pleaded guilty to the federal indictment that charged him with possessing a firearm as a felon on Sept. 14, 2018. According to court documents, on Sept. 14, 2018, Moultrie, a self-identified gang member, fired multiple rounds at an occupied vehicle in Rock Island. After officers identified Moultrie later that evening, he fled into an occupied home. Moultrie’s flight led to a two-hour standoff with law enforcement that ended with his surrender and arrest.
In ordering a sentence above the guideline range prescribed by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Chief Judge Darrow found that Moultrie’s criminal behavior was aggravated, as he had posed a serious risk to his victims, the arresting officers, and the community at large.
The Rock Island Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the criminal investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Knight represented the government in the federal prosecution, in coordination with the Rock Island County State’s Attorney’s Office.
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