James Richard Moore, a 38-year-old Oxford resident, has been in the jail since October, when he was arrested on earlier felony charges, according to an online inmate database maintained by the Sheriff’s Office.
On Dec. 14, deputies charged the inmate with a first-degree felony charge of promoting prison contraband.
The database did not specify what sort of item Moore allegedly introduced to the jail. Attempts to reach officials with the Sheriff’s Office on Thursday were unsuccessful.
The Alabama Criminal Code states a person can be charged with promoting prison contraband in the first-degree if he either “ … intentionally and unlawfully introduces within a detention facility, or provides an inmate with, any deadly weapon, instrument, tool or other thing which may be useful for escape” or if he “ … makes, obtains or possesses” any such weapon or tool useful for escape.
Moore remained in the jail Wednesday without chance for bail, because he is being held for the Alabama Department of Corrections, the online inmate database shows.
A search of court records revealed that Moore pleaded guilty to attempted murder in 1994 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
But Moore apparently did not serve the entire sentence: Court records show he was out of prison in October –- 17 years after being sentenced –- when Weaver police picked him up on two recent felony warrants for crimes he had allegedly committed on Oct. 23.
Moore will appear in court on Feb. 9 for a preliminary hearing in his Dec. 14 charge on promoting prison contraband.
His arrest report from that charge lists Moore’s occupation as a security officer for Bartlett Security.
Contact Star Staff Writer Cameron Steele at 256-235-3562.
