Jury convicts pharmacy robber who wore masks, disguises

(As originally published with additional photos, Mon, November 6th 2023, 9:20 PM EST)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (TND) — A man who robbed pharmacies while wearing a mask and other disguises has been found guilty of seven criminal charges and faces life sentences.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the FBI first learned about a masked man robbing a string of pharmacy stores in rural Columbia County, Fla., in early 2022.

In one case, the masked robber was captured on surveillance driving a blue or gray sedan, walking into the pharmacy with a black handgun, and demanding controlled substances, specifically, oxycodone, oxycontin, and Percocet.

What he didn’t realize was that a good Samaritan in the pharmacy’s drive-thru followed the getaway vehicle and captured the license plate number, which led back to Jesse Rance Moore.

The vehicles in three other robberies either matched the description of a pickup truck registered to Moore or the vehicles his wife had rented days before.

Evidence shown in court included articles of clothing, multiple masks, the firearm, handwritten notes, and brown boots.

There was also cellphone evidence he searched for information on medications stolen from the pharmacies, the store hours of pharmacies, and a variety of keyword searches, including the question “do drug stores get robbed in florida.”

And, despite the disguises, witnesses testified about the robber’s physical appearance, clothing, interactions, and demeanor during the robberies.

Moore, 46, was convicted of four counts pertaining to Hobbs Act robberies and three counts of brandishing a firearm during the robberies.

He faces 20 years in federal prison for each robbery count and life for each weapons offense.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 30.