ST. LOUIS, MO – August 14 2026 (STL.News) — Harry Moore, a 21-year-old Venice, Illinois, man, has been sentenced to 154 months in federal prison for his role in an armed carjacking in St. Louis and for opening fire on another man near Ballpark Village about an hour later.
The sentence, equivalent to 12 years and 10 months, was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri following Moore’s sentencing Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026.
Moore pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of carjacking and one felony count of possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.
The case stemmed from a series of events on Sept. 4, 2024, that began with a stolen Cadillac in Illinois and eventually involved an armed robbery, the theft of an SUV, unauthorized withdrawals from the victim’s accounts and gunfire in downtown St. Louis.
Harry Moore – Armed Carjacking in Tower Grove East
According to federal prosecutors, Moore was driving a Cadillac that had been stolen in Belleville, Illinois, on Sept. 4, 2024. Two other armed individuals were traveling with him, including a juvenile.
The group encountered the driver of an SUV in St. Louis’ Tower Grove East neighborhood and decided to rob him.
Moore’s two passengers approached the victim and demanded his wallet, iPhone and vehicle keys. Moore, who prosecutors said was also armed, then joined the confrontation.
He demanded that the victim unlock his phone and provide the personal identification number for his debit card.
Court admissions outlined by prosecutors show that the crime did not end with taking the victim’s vehicle and possessions.
Moore drove to a gas station while his accomplices followed. He then used the victim’s debit card to withdraw more than $200 from an ATM.
Prosecutors said Moore also used the victim’s phone to transfer another $200 to an associate through Cash App.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office identified the stolen vehicle in its earlier guilty-plea announcement as a Subaru Outback and placed the carjacking in the 2900 block of Minnesota Avenue.
Shooting Followed About an Hour Later
Roughly an hour after the carjacking, the case escalated again.
Federal prosecutors said Moore was riding in the front passenger seat of the stolen SUV when he saw a person from a rival group walking near Ballpark Village in downtown St. Louis.
Moore opened fire with a .45-caliber handgun as the intended target ran toward a parking garage.
The Justice Department said Moore fired multiple rounds during the incident.
Investigators later located the juvenile who had been traveling with Moore and recovered the stolen SUV in East St. Louis, Illinois.
The investigation continued for more than a month before Moore was arrested.
Firearm Recovered During Moore’s Arrest
Authorities arrested Moore on Oct. 10, 2024, inside a residence in Cahokia Heights, Illinois.
Investigators searching the residence found three firearms, according to federal prosecutors.
Among them was the Glock handgun authorities determined had been used during the shooting near Ballpark Village.
The recovery provided investigators with additional evidence connecting Moore to the violent events that followed the carjacking.
Moore ultimately admitted his role in the crimes when he entered his guilty plea on April 24, 2026.
At that time, prosecutors said the federal carjacking charge carried a potential sentence of up to 15 years. The firearm offense involving brandishing carried a mandatory minimum seven-year prison term that was required to run consecutively to the sentence imposed for the carjacking.
Prosecutor Cites Risk to Public
At Moore’s sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin emphasized the danger Moore’s conduct presented not only to the direct victims but also to members of the public who happened to be near the shooting.
Martin told the court that Moore’s actions endangered the victims and anyone who was in the vicinity when the shots were fired.
The prosecutor also described Moore’s criminal history as a “staggering amount of crimes” beginning when Moore was young.
Martin argued that Moore belonged to a relatively small group of individuals responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime.
The resulting 154-month sentence means Moore faces nearly 13 years in federal prison.
Unlike many state sentences, federal prison sentences do not provide traditional parole. Federal inmates may qualify for limited reductions in the amount of time actually served under applicable federal laws and Bureau of Prisons programs, but the federal system abolished parole for offenses committed after Nov. 1, 1987.
Multiple Agencies Investigated the Case
Law enforcement agencies on both sides of the Mississippi River investigated the case.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, FBI and St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department in Illinois investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin prosecuted the federal case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Federal officials said the prosecution is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative involving federal resources directed at violent crime, cartels, transnational criminal organizations and immigration enforcement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced Moore’s sentence on Aug. 11 and updated its public release the following day.
Case Timeline
Sept. 4, 2024: Moore and two armed companions participate in the St. Louis carjacking. Moore subsequently accesses the victim’s money, and about an hour later fires at another person near Ballpark Village.
Later Sept. 4, 2024: Investigators locate the juvenile accomplice and stolen Subaru Outback in East St. Louis.
Oct. 10, 2024: Moore is arrested at a residence in Cahokia Heights, where investigators recover three firearms, including the gun linked to the shooting.
April 24, 2026: Moore pleads guilty in federal court to carjacking and possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.
Aug. 11, 2026: Moore is sentenced to 154 months in federal prison.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri and court information released by the U.S. Department of Justice.
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