The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on October 30, 2019, after about 8 minutes of deliberation, a Bay County jury found James Warren Moore guilty of Trafficking Methamphetamine (14 grams or more).
On April 30, 2019, officers with the Panama City Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and identified the Defendant as the driver. While making contact with the Defendant, officers saw a clear tupperware container filled with a white, crystalized substance, sitting in plain view, located directly in front of the gear shift and underneath the radio. The officers immediately recognized the substance as being a type of methamphetamine known as “ice” due to its distinct appearance. A chemical analyst from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement further testified that the substance was, in fact, methamphetamine and weighed approximately 23 grams, which was well above the 14 gram minimum to support the charge.
Moore is set for sentencing on November 21, 2019 before the Honorable Judge Brantley Clark Jr. He is a Habitual Felony Offender with 5 prior felony convictions. He is facing a 3 year minimum mandatory sentence up to Life in prison. This case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Calie Rivera and Alexis Sykes.
For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.