Willie Moore - North Carolina
#0290930
State: North Carolina
Sentence: 6 years 8 months, to 8 years 9 months (80-105 months)
Offense: 5 counts of Breaking and Entering; 2 counts of felony Larceny; misdemeanor Larceny and Possession of Stolen Goods; Habitual Felon
Court: New Hanover County
Date of Sentencing: 5/15/2003
Date of Birth: 1/8/1957
Projected Release Date: 8/10/2010
Habitual Felonies: Willies’ three triggering felonies were all Breaking and Entering charges (11/27/95, 1/13/98, 12/14/00).
Nature of Offense: Willie has struggled to overcome a drug addiction since he was 29 years old and has a long criminal history record relating to his addiction. At the time of the underlying offenses, Willie had begun to use crack cocaine again after experiencing a 20-month period of sobriety. He was arrested when police found him breaking into a vehicle and stealing a camera. In addition to this, he was charged with four other counts of breaking and entering and larceny a few days later. While Willie admits to breaking into the motor vehicle and stealing the camera, he denies any involvement with these additional charges and feels that police attributed them to him simply because they were of a similar nature and occurred in the same area. Willie eventually pled guilty to the charges and received a sentence of 80 to 105 months. His requests to receive an alternative sentence in a drug program were denied.
Other Priors: Willie’s prior charges are attributable to his battle with drug addiction. He has 5 other felony convictions for Breaking and Entering (11/12/87, 10/17/88, 11/14/90, 9/7/93, 1/13/98), three misdemeanor possession charges (4/4/95, 7/5/95, 1/31/00), defrauding a taxi driver (3/10/87) and an additional misdemeanor Breaking and Entering (6/11/97) charge.
Guideline Sentence: Each of Willie’s charges were either class H or class I felonies. With a prior record level of IV, Willie would have received a maximum sentence of 14 months. The habitual felon status elevated Willie to a class C felon and he was sentenced to 80-105 months in the mitigated range.
Personal Background: Willie had a difficult upbringing. He and his seven siblings grew up in poverty and were raised by their single mother. Fortunately, Willie was able to overcome his socioeconomic disadvantage and establish a comfortable life for himself. He was married with 2 kids, gainfully employed and had never been in trouble with the law until he began to experiment with drugs at the age of 29. After trying cocaine and crack cocaine on a few occasions, Willie quickly became a full-blown crack cocaine addict. As a result of his addiction, Willie was unable to hold down his job and consequently resorted to committing petty crimes to support his crack cocaine habit. This spurred a ten-year period of criminal involvement, and, as is the case with many drug addicts, the criminal justice system essentially became a revolving door for Willie. He would commit a minor theft, be sentenced to jail without receiving treatment, and released back into the same drug-ridden environment only to begin using again and eventually arrested for yet another crime.
For years Willie’s attempts at rehabilitation failed, but in the winter of 2000, it seemed as though he was finally going to get the help he needed to overcome his addiction. He was arrested for breaking and entering and sentenced to drug court. He found the program very supportive and effective and was able to remain sober for 20 months after his release. During this period, he was employed as an electrician and had been reunited with his wife. Unfortunately, being surrounded by fellow drug users, Willie was unable to resist the temptation and began to use crack again. A week later, he found himself stealing to support his addiction and was sentenced to 80 to 105 months in prison as a habitual felon.
Willie continues his attempts to overcome his addiction in prison. He has taken multiple substance abuse courses and is an active participant in Narcotics Anonymous. He has completed training as a house peer counselor for North Carolina’s Department of Corrections’ Substance Abuse program. He hopes to pursue a career in the substance abuse field upon his release to help others avoid the mistakes he has made. On his criminal history and substance abuse, Willie writes:
“I admit that I am responsible for my actions and that I must pay for my crimes, but I hope that the next petty criminal on drugs can get help before they too are labeled habitual criminals instead of the substance abusers that they are.”
Compiled from inmate information, Judgment and Commitment Form, and NC DOC Public Access Information System.
7/19/05 BA updated 5/14/07 mmg.