PHOENIX — A Phoenix man has been sentenced to six months in prison for selling a gun to the alleged shooter of Officer Tyler Moldovan, a day before the young officer was shot eight times.
Dwayne Keith Anderson, 51, was sentenced Monday after he pleaded guilty to making false statements while purchasing a firearm. After completing his prison sentence, he'll be placed on supervised release for three years, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Anderson met Essa Williams at a gun show and told him he could assist him with avoiding a background check to buy a gun. Williams had several prior felony convictions prohibiting him from legally owning a firearm.
On Dec. 13, 2021, Williams sent Anderson false information about a woman and her driver's license photo. Anderson used that woman's information to fill out the paperwork for buying a gun. Anderson then sold Williams a 9mm pistol.
The following day, Williams allegedly shot Officer Moldovan several times after multiple officers responded to a call at an apartment complex near 15th Avenue and Camelback Road. Phoenix police later found the 9mm pistol Anderson had sold Williams in the suspect's vehicle.
Moldovan survived the shooting and has spent the last couple of years recovering from his injuries.
Up to Speed
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?:
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.