Lexington Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Drug Trafficking

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Rakim Moberly, 29, of Lexington, pleaded guilty Wednesday to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, trafficking in fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, before Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves. 

Moberly admitted to illegally possessing a stolen firearm. According to his plea agreement, officers arrested Moberly for possessing the firearm and took him to the Fayette County Detention Center. While at the detention center, Moberly discarded drugs that were on his person. Later, officers the drugs where Moberly had been seated..                         

Moberly was indicted in August 2019. Moberly was previously convicted of Robbery Second Degree, Wanton Endangerment First Degree, and Criminal Mischief First Degree, by the Fayette Circuit Court, in 2016.

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Tommy Estevan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Louisville Field Division; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea.

The investigation was conducted by the Lexington Police Department and ATF. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia T. Rieker.

Moberly is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 28, 2020. He faces up to 35 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1.5 million. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The PSN program was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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