Judge sentences 72-year-old Oakland man to federal prison for cooking crack

OAKLAND — Despite a defense argument that he has extensive medial issues, a 72-year-old man was sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in a so-called “open air drug market” in East Oakland.

George Moore Jr. must report to the Bureau of Prisons to serve his two-year prison term by May 5, according to an order signed by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. Moore pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess cocaine base for distribution and being a felon in possession of a Mossberg shotgun, both federal offenses. and the sentence was handed down in late February.

The defense argued for a 366-day prison term, and listed 19 medical conditions that Moore suffers from, including heart disease, as well as 17 different medications he needs. Prosecutors argued for a prison term of 51 to 63 months, saying that Moore displayed “savviness” when he cooked cocaine powder into crack cocaine that was later sold openly at a home on the 200 block of Makin Road in Oakland.

“(Moore) was an integral and essential part of the network—he was the supplier, and someone who undeniably contributed to the devastation wrought by drug trafficking in the community,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amani Floyd wrote in a sentencing memo.

The defense painted Moore as a family man with 10 grandkids, who overcame a rough upbringing that included being exposed to “extreme violence in his community which included Mr. Moore encountering dead bodies that had their throats slit.” They added that he resorted to selling cocaine due to “financial problems” but accepts responsibility.

Moore was among 13 people arrested in connection with the Makin Road drug market. Nearly all of the defendants have since pleaded guilty and been sentenced, including a 66-year-old man who avoided jail time altogether just days before Moore was sentenced.