Southern District of Alabama

MOBILE, AL – A Theodore man was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for robbing a Raceway gas station in Theodore on December 27, 2020.

According to court documents, Corey Wilson Lyman, 29, threatened a cashier at the gas station with a knife and stole the victim’s money, cell phone, and car keys. Lyman then fled the scene of the robbery in the victim’s car and led police on a high-speed chase, blowing through several lighted intersections. During the chase, Lyman threw two bags from the car that contained cash and a knife. Lyman eventually ran the car into a grassy ditch and attempted to flee into the woods near Dauphin Island Parkway before police apprehended him. As part of his guilty plea, Lyman admitted that he committed the robbery, that he took the victim’s property by threatening force and violence, and that his actions obstructed, delayed, and affected interstate commerce in violation of the Hobbs Act.

United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer ordered Lyman to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse and will be subject to credit restrictions. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered Lyman to pay $1,500 in restitution to the robbery victim and $100 in special assessments.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – A Robertsdale man was sentenced today to 15 year in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking felony.

According to court documents, Patrick Earl Pool, 38, was first arrested in January of 2020 in Elberta by Baldwin County Sheriff’s deputies who found him in possession of methamphetamine, Ecstasy pills and three firearms. Pool was next encountered by sheriff’s deputies in May of 2020 when deputies received information that he was traveling to Baldwin County with trafficking amounts of heroin and methamphetamine. His vehicle was stopped and the deputies found heroin, ecstasy and marijuana in the vehicle. In June of 2020, Pool was again arrested when deputies responded to his residence and found crack cocaine, marijuana, various types of pills, $1,738 in cash and two firearms. Pool was arrested on the federal charges in October of 2020, and he has been detained in custody since that time. Pool pled guilty to the three charges in December of 2020.

United States District Court Judge Callie V. S. Granade imposed the sente of 15 years and one month in Pool’s case on October 13, 2021, consisting of 121 months on the drug charge and the felon in possession charge, to run concurrently with each other, and 60 months on the firearms charge, to run consecutively to the sentences on the other counts. The judge ordered that Pool will serve a total of five years under supervision when he is released from custody. Special conditions of his supervision include drug testing and treatment, a mental health evaluation and treatment if necessary, and a model search condition. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that Pool pay $300 in special assessments, and that the firearms seized during the investigation are to be forfeited to the United States.

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – A Millbrook, Alabama, man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking felony.

According to court documents, Jeremy Haynes Stubbs, 41, was identified by a confidential informant as a distributor of methamphetamine in the Selma area. As the result of a recorded phone call with the informant, Stubbs and his co-defendant Craig Charles Plyler, traveled to a pre-arranged meeting location where investigators confronted them. Methamphetamine and a firearm were recovered from their vehicle. Stubbs plead guilty to the two charges in September of 2020.

United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed the sentence of 15 years and one month in Stubbs’ case on October 13, 2021, consisting of 121 months on the drug charge and 60 months on the firearms charge, to run consecutively to the sentence on the drug count. The judge ordered that Stubbs will serve a total of five years under supervision when he is released from custody. Special conditions of his supervision include drug testing and treatment, a mental health evaluation and treatment if necessary, and a model search condition. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that Stubbs pay $200 in special assessments, and that the firearms seized during the investigation are to be forfeited to the United States.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspectors and the 4th Judicial Circuit Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

Sean P. Costello, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, announces that Chief Judge Jeffery Beaverstock has sentenced defendant Betty Fables Harrison to 27 months in prison and ordered her to pay $549,000.00 in restitution.

In April 2021, Harrison pleaded guilty to an Information charging her with wire fraud. As part of her plea agreement with the United States, Harrison admitted that she worked as a business manager and administrator for two related medical practices in Mobile County — Bay Area Community Medicine and Independent Practice Management — from 2005 through October 2017. In this capacity, Harrison handled payroll and had access to multiple business bank accounts.

Starting in 2006, Harrison began using business funds for unauthorized personal expenditures, such as horse saddles, equine vet bills, musical instruments, furniture, and vacations. These unauthorized purchases continued for eleven years until Harrison’s termination in October 2017. Also during this time, Harrison fraudulently paid herself bonuses and consulting fees as well as increased her salary without authorization. This resulted in a substantial financial loss to both medical practices.

During the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Beaverstock noted that Harrison’s crimes went on for years and were a serious breach of trust. Accordingly, Chief Judge Beaverstock agreed with the United States’ sentencing recommendation and sentenced Harrison to 27 months in federal prison. Harrison was also ordered to pay $549,000.00 in restitution to Dr. George Sutton, the owner of both medical practices.

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Bodnar. A related state criminal case against Harrison is pending in Mobile County Circuit Court.

MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced today to 10 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Michael Lee Ammons, 51, made comments to coworkers in April 2021 threatening to “go postal” and “shoot up the place” at a trucking company in Mobile where he was employed. Federal agents responded to the business and detained Ammons, who admitted to making the threatening statements. During a later search of Ammons’s residence, agents recovered a .40-caliber pistol and .22-caliber long rifle bullets. Ammons admitted to possessing the pistol and the bullets. He also acknowledged that, as a convicted felon, he was not allowed to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition.

Senior United States District Judge Callie V.S. Granade ordered Ammons to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse. As a special condition of his supervised release, the court ordered Ammons not to have any contact with his former employer. The court did not impose a fine, but the judge ordered Ammons to pay $100 in special assessments.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – A Loxley, Alabama, man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine ice and possession of a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, Jonathon Howard Beck, 39, was identified during an investigation in which investigators used a confidential informant to make controlled purchases of methamphetamine ice from him. The informant was equipped with audio and video devices to record the transactions with Beck, and during the buy, Beck is seen handling a firearm as the drug deal was taking place. A search warrant was obtained for Beck’s residence and investigators discovered and seized additional methamphetamine ice and two pistols. After the federal indictment was returned, an arrest warrant was issued for Beck. When investigators arrived at Beck’s residence to arrest him, they observed drug paraphernalia in plain view in the residence, and they obtained another search warrant. The execution of the second warrant yielded more methamphetamine, drug proceeds and several firearms, including two guns with obliterated serial numbers.

United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade imposed the 15-year sentence, consisting of 10 years on the drug charge and five years on the gun charge, which will run consecutively. The judge further ordered that Beck would also serve five years on supervised release following his imprisonment. As conditions of his supervision, Beck will also undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Beck pay $200 in special assessments. All the firearms used during the commission of the offenses were ordered forfeited to the United States.

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – A Robertsdale, Alabama, man was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine ice.

According to court documents, Brandon Kayne Love, 37, distributed methamphetamine ice he obtained from various suppliers in both Baldwin County, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida. Love was distributing the drugs from various places in Baldwin County.

United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed the 72-month sentence. The judge further ordered that Love would also serve five years on supervised release following his imprisonment. As conditions of his supervision, Love will also undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Love pay $100 in special assessments.

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – The U.S. District Court sentenced a Mobile woman to 6 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release and ordered her to pay the Social Security Administration over $107,000 in restitution for lying to the Social Security Administration (SSA) to get the benefits of vulnerable persons whom she overcharged for room and board in her group boarding homes in Mobile.

According to court documents and testimony at her sentencing hearing today, Meoshi Shonta Nelson, 46, also known as Meoshi Williams, was previously convicted in 2015 of federal felony mail and access device fraud charges for stealing money from the fund established to compensate those with losses from the Deepwater Horizon Oil spill disaster. In that scheme, she submitted false claims for personal income loss and recruited family and friends to do the same, keeping some of the money they received. Nelson later lied to the SSA to obtain approval to receive and manage SSA benefits of persons who lived in three of her group boarding homes in the Mobile area. Specifically, as an applicant to the SSA’s Representative Payee Program, Nelson was required but failed to disclose that she was a convicted felon as of June 23, 2015, when she pleaded guilty to the mail and access device fraud charges described above.

Nelson repeatedly lied to the SSA in her representative payee applications and her SSA fund expenditures forms that she was not a convicted felon. When the SSA learned of her convictions in 2017, it barred her from serving as anyone’s representative payee and reassigned her beneficiaries.

Not to be deterred, Nelson circumvented the debarment by enlisting her family and friends to apply to serve as representative payees for residents of her group homes—in name only—who then turned over the money to her. Nelson took 75% off the top of from each of her SSA beneficiaries for room and board for their room, which averaged over $500.00 per month, from approximately six (6) residents of each home. The charge exceeded the fair market value of rent at the locations by two-to-four times. She also received federal food stamps for some of the residents. She provided services such as transportation to the doctor. The court ordered her to pay $107,000 to the SSA as restitution.

“Driven by greed, this woman preyed on vulnerable people, many of whom were elderly and could not manage their own finances,” said U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello. “Hopefully, her time in prison will deter her from further committing further crimes against other members of our community, especially the elderly and vulnerable,” he added.

“Nelson’s fraudulent scheme exploited a vulnerable population who had trusted her and depended on her for care,” said Gail Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “I thank our law enforcement partners for working with us and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case and holding Nelson accountable.”

The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Atlanta Field Division investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Lankford prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – A Jackson, Alabama man was sentenced today to 151 months in prison for selling illegal drugs from his residence in Clarke County, Alabama.

According to court documents, Marco Antonio Gaston of Jackson, Alabama, was selling controlled substances from his residence. Jackson Police Department executed a search warrant in February 2019 and arrested Gaston and codefendant Morgan Nicole Anderson, his girlfriend. Video evidence showed drugs being sold from the front porch. In one two-day period law enforcement counted in excess of 50 drug transactions occurring at the house. The drug evidence included marijuana, alprazolam, fentanyl, cocaine and hydrocodone.

Homeland Security and Investigations investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Anderson prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – A Foley, Alabama, man was sentenced on September 1, 2021, to 131 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine ice.

According to court documents, William Wilson  Roberts, 37, distributed methamphetamine ice in furtherance of the conspiracy. Roberts was living with co-defendant Amber White, and they traveled to Pensacola and other places to receive significant amounts of methamphetamine ice for distribution in Baldwin County. As White and Roberts were returning to Foley from one trip to Pensacola, a Baldwin County sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop their vehicle for a traffic violation. White attempted to elude the deputy, reaching speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour on County Road 10. White finally crashed through a fence and drove through a field into another fence. Roberts jumped out of the vehicle and began to run. Deputies recovered 33.9 grams of methamphetamine from White.

United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade imposed the 131-month sentence and ordered that Roberts would also serve ten years on supervised release following his imprisonment. Roberts will also undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse and mental health counseling, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion during that time. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Roberts pay $100 in special assessments.

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – A Robertsdale, Alabama man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition.

According to court documents and evidence introduced at sentencing, Ronald Howard, 51, having previously been convicted of a felony offense, knowingly possessed ammunition in connection with a sexual assault and unlawful restraint. As part of the sentence, United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer ordered that Howard undergo three years of supervised release after finishing his term of imprisonment, during which time Howard is ordered to participate in substance abuse treatment, sexual offender treatment, refrain from contact with minors, and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) Resident Agent in Charge Kenneth J. Fos made the announcement. ATF and the Mobile Police Department (“MPD”) investigated the case.

At Howard’s sentencing, Judge Moorer heard testimony about the indicent. On the morning of February 11, 2020, officers from MPD responded to a 911 call from a bystander who reported seeing a woman being pushed out of a silver car. When the police arrived, the female victim had a bloodied head.

The victim reported that in the early morning hours of February 11, 2020, she was approached by three people in a silver car who offered her a ride and Howard was in the back seat, where the victim was also sitting. While both were in the backseat, Howard repeatedly struck the victim in the head with a gun and sexually assaulted the victim, who reported that Howard was armed with two guns. Mobile Fire Rescue transported the victim to a hospital to receive treatment for her injuries, which included a laceration to her head that required six staples.

A few hours later, Mobile Police Department officers stopped the silver car, which matched the victim’s description. Officers took the three occupants, including Howard, into custody. Officers found the victim’s identification card in Howard’s pocket and collected Howard’s clothing as evidence. Officers located nine unfired rounds of .38 Special ammunition in Howard’s pants pocket. Subsequent forensic testing completed by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences  (“ADFS”) revealed that the victim’s DNA (a blood stain) was on the pants that Howard was wearing on the day of the assault. The victim made a positive identification of all three persons in the silver car in a photo lineup.

During a subsequent search of the car, police found a loaded .380 caliber pistol and a loaded .38 caliber revolver. The two weapons matched the victim’s description of the firearms that Howard possessed during the assault. Police swabbed the guns for DNA testing completed by the ADFS, which later confirmed the presence of Howard’s DNA on a swabbing from the .380 caliber pistol.

Howard has pending state charges in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama for sodomy in the first degree, sexual abuse in the first degree, and assault in the second degree. The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting Howard’s related state offenses.

The Mobile Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, and were assisted by the MPD Special Victims Unit, the Rape Crisis Center, USA Women’s and Children’s Hospital Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, and the officers of MPD’s Third Precinct. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – A Robertsdale, Alabama, man was sentenced on August 13, 2021, to 84 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine ice.
 
According to court documents, Jason Charles Diard, 41, distributed methamphetamine ice he obtained from various suppliers in Baldwin County, Alabama, and in Pensacola, Florida.   Diard was distributing the drugs from various places in the county, including hotels in Robertsdale and Bay Minette.
 
Chief United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the 84-month sentence and ordered that Diard undergo drug abuse counseling while in custody.  Chief Judge DuBose further ordered that Diard would also serve five years on supervised release following his imprisonment.  As conditions of his supervision, Diard will also undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion.  No fine was imposed but Chief Judge Dubose ordered that Diard pay $100 in special assessments.
 
The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force, and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – A Birmingham man was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Thomas Edison Douglas, 27, was arrested in September 2020 by police in Saraland, Alabama. Officers had responded to a local hotel in response to a 911 call regarding a domestic dispute involving Douglas. When police encountered Douglas outside the hotel, they recovered a loaded Glock 9mm pistol equipped with an extended magazine, which he had concealed in his waistband. Douglas admitted to officers that he had the gun for his protection and that he previously had been convicted of felony robbery. As a result of his prior felony conviction, Douglas admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Senior United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade ordered Douglas to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse. The court did not impose a fine, but the judge ordered Douglas to pay $100 in special assessments.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Saraland Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – A Pensacola, Florida, man was sentenced on August 10, 2021, to 10 years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine ice.
 
According to court documents, Cameron Alexander Michanowicz, 42, distributed large amounts of methamphetamine ice from his residence and his business in the Pensacola, Florida, area.  Many people from Baldwin County, Alabama, traveled to Pensacola to deal with Michanowicz and brought the drugs to Alabama for distribution here. When federal agents obtained a search warrant for Michanowicz’s residence and business, firearms, drugs, several cell phones, computers, and cash were seized.  Michanowicz provided a statement to the agents after being advised of his Miranda rights in which he admitted his participation in the illegal distribution of drugs.  Michanowicz was held accountable for the distribution of 10.4 kilograms of methamphetamine ice and one pound of heroin.

Chief United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the 10-year sentence and ordered that Michanowicz would also serve five years on supervised release following his imprisonment.  Michanowicz will also undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion during that time.  No fine was imposed but Chief Judge Dubose ordered that Michanowicz pay $100 in special assessments.

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force, and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – A Foley, Alabama, man was sentenced on August 10, 2021, to 15 years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine ice and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking felony.
 
According to court documents, John Heath Carter, 38, distributed large amounts of methamphetamine ice he obtained from various suppliers in Baldwin County, Alabama.    Carter was stopped by the Foley Police Department for a traffic violation and officers found methamphetamine ice, a .38 caliber pistol, and a CS grenade.  The methamphetamine ice was packaged for distribution.  Carter was advised of his Miranda rights and he admitted his participation in the scheme to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Chief United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the 15-year sentence, consisting of 10 years on the conspiracy charge and 5 years on the firearm charge.  By operation of federal law, the sentence for the firearm charge must run consecutively to any other sentence of imprisonment.  Chief Judge Dubose further ordered that Carter would also serve eight years on supervised release following his imprisonment.  As conditions of his supervision, Carter will undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion.  No fine was imposed but Chief Judge Dubose ordered that Carter pay $200 in special assessments.
 
The case was investigated by the Foley Police Department, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force, and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – An Elberta, Alabama, man was sentenced today, to 72 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine ice and for his possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking felony.

According to court documents, Donald Ray Thomas, 42, distributed methamphetamine ice he obtained from various suppliers in Baldwin County, Alabama, and in Pensacola, Florida.   Thomas was distributing the drugs from various places in the county, including a business where he worked in Foley.

Chief United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the 72-month sentence, which consisted of 12 months on the drug charge and 60 months on the gun charge, to run consecutively.  Chief Judge Dubose further ordered that Thomas would also serve five years on supervised release following his imprisonment.  As conditions of his supervision, Thomas will undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse and a mental health evaluation, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion.  No fine was imposed but Chief Judge Dubose ordered that Thomas pay $200 in special assessments. 

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force, and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – An Atmore, Alabama, woman was sentenced on August 10, 2021, to 38 months in prison for her participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine ice. 

According to court documents, Jordan Ashley Gabel, 34, distributed methamphetamine ice she obtained from various suppliers in Baldwin County, Alabama.    Gabel was implicated in two traffic stops in which she was in possession of methamphetamine ice, both conducted by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.
 
United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed the 38-month sentence, which amounted to a sentence of time served after giving Gabel credit for her custodial time served prior to the imposition of sentence.  Judge Steele further ordered that Gabel would also serve five years on supervised release following her imprisonment.  As conditions of her supervision, Gabel will undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse and a mental health evaluation, and she will be subject to a search of her person and premises upon reasonable suspicion.  No fine was imposed but Judge Steele ordered that Gabel pay $100 in special assessments.

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force, and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – The U.S. District Court sentenced a Mobile woman to 3 years of probation, 80 hours of community service, and a $1,000 fine for sending by mail a false claim for personal injuries and vehicle damage allegedly caused by defective Takata airbag inflators that sent shrapnel flying when they deployed.

According to court documents, Tracey Lanette Adams, 48, used pictures she obtained from the internet and altered medical records that she submitted by mail from Mobile to try to obtain over $13,000 from the Takata Individual Restitution Fund (TIRF). The TIRF was established in the Eastern of District of Michigan when Takata Corporation was sentenced for wire fraud. In February 2017, the Court there ordered that Takata Corporation pay $125,000,000.00 into a fund to compensate those injured or who would be injured by its defective airbag deflators. The Special Master appointed to administer the fund oversees the evaluation of claims seeking compensation.

Evaluators saw red flags as it considered Adams’s claim, including photographs Adams had altered from the internet that she said were of her and her injuries. When the TIRF denied her claim, she appealed and submitted once again the false documents and photographs. A face-to-face interview with the Mobile FBI confirmed that she was not the person in the photographs and had not suffered the serious facial injuries depicted. Adams did not receive any compensation.

“The Takata Individual Restitution Fund is for actual victims who suffered or will suffer injuries caused by their defective airbag inflators. This defendant wasted the valuable time of the evaluators that they could have spent considering claims of people who were actually injured by these defective products. And now she’s been convicted of a felony for it and will be under the watchful eyes of federal probation officers for 3 years,” U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello remarked.

FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell stated, “The defendant in this particular case has no regard for the real victims and their injuries. Where there are large sums of money there will be fraud, and the men and women of the FBI stand ready to assist our partners in seeing the prosecution of these defendants carried out.” The FBI in the Eastern District of Michigan and in Mobile investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Lankford prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – A Foley woman was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for her participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Amber Renee White, 46, was identified during an investigation which resulted from controlled purchases of methamphetamine ice from White at various locations in Baldwin County, Alabama. White was stopped by Baldwin County sheriff’s deputies twice in routine traffic stops and methamphetamine was discovered in the subsequent searches of the vehicle. A search warrant was obtained for her residence during the investigation and additional quantities of methamphetamine ice were recovered, along with cash, drug paraphernalia and cell phones. White was advised of her rights and she admitted her participation in a scheme to possess with intent to distribute more than 51 kilograms of methamphetamine ice from 2016 through 2018.

United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade imposed the 180-month sentence and ordered that White serve a five-year term of supervised release when she is released from custody. No fine was imposed, but White was ordered to pay a special mandatory assessment of $100.

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Safe Streets Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

MOBILE, AL – A Chunchula man was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Freddy Paul Foreman, Jr., 38, was identified during an investigation which resulted from controlled purchases of methamphetamine ice from Foreman at his home in Baldwin County, Alabama. Baldwin County sheriff’s deputies obtained a search warrant for the premises and executed it. A co-defendant in the case told deputies that they were awaiting a shipment of drugs at the residence but it had not yet arrived. Deputies seized cell phones, drug paraphernalia and cash, including some of the marked money used to make the controlled purchases of drugs prior to the execution of the search warrant. At the time of his arrest, Foreman was on supervised release from a prior federal conviction for possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking felony. His ongoing criminal activity resulted in a petition filed by the United States Probation Office seeking revocation of the five-year supervised release term and his remand to federal prison.

United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade imposed the 144-month sentence, consisting of 84 months on the drug conspiracy, and 60 months for the violation of the supervised release conditions, with the sentences to run consecutively. No fine was imposed, but Foreman was ordered to pay a special mandatory assessment of $100. A five-year term of supervised release was again imposed, to begin when Foreman is released from prison.

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Safe Streets Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Richard and Monique Parker of Spanish Fort, Alabama, doing business as FB McGuinness were sentenced in federal court on four counts of an information. The Parkers pled guilty to introducing misbranded animal drugs into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead, operating an unregistered drug establishment, and the sale of unregistered, adulterated, and misbranded pesticides.

According to documents filed as part of the defendant’s guilty plea the Parkers operated a business, F.B. McGuinness, from their residence in Spanish Fort. F.B. McGuinness sold products from a catalogue, including drugs and pesticides mainly focused on the cockfighting industry. The facility was unregistered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These products included items that were repackaged and labeled to include false FDA and NADA numbers on F.B. McGuinness products. Through a series of anonymous purchases, products were obtained from the F.B. McGuinness catalogue. An analysis of the products purchased indicated that these items were mislabeled or not as they were advertised.

In October 2020 a search warrant was executed at the Parker’s residence and location of their catalogue business. The Parkers admitted to producing and packaging drugs and pesticides at their residence for several years.  The Parkers went on to admit that many of the products were repackaged and relabeled for F.B. McGuinness. The Parkers stated that the false FDA and NADA numbers on the F.B. McGuinness products gave a perception of legitimacy for their customers.

The F.B. McGuinness catalogue included products the FDA no longer approved for sale in the United States because they contained suspected carcinogens. Additionally, the EPA determined the Parker’s facility contained pesticides that were inactive or no longer allowed to be marketed in the United States.

At sentencing, the Parkers were sentenced to a three year term of probation, a $5,000 fine and the forfeiture of $100,000. 

The case was investigated by the FDA, the EPA, and the FBI.

“Since 2014, the defendants sold to customers across the country over $3 million of products, which included unregistered pesticides without instructions on how to use the product safely,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Chuck Carfagno of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Atlanta. “Today’s sentencing shows that EPA and our law enforcement partners will hold responsible those who violate our pesticide laws and put the public at risk.”

“The FDA regulates animal drugs as part of its mission to protect the public health, which includes ensuring that prescription animal drugs are lawfully distributed and dispensed pursuant to a valid prescription,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder, Ph.D., FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “These laws are in place not only for the well-being of the animals, but also to protect consumers from animals that may be used for food that may contain unsafe drug residues. We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who attempt to evade the law.”

This matter was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Tarrence Dramon Tolbert, 40, of Brewton, Alabama, was sentenced on June 29, 2021 to 135 months’ imprisonment for his possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on February 24, 2020.  In January of 2021, Tolbert pled guilty to the charge in federal court in Mobile.

According to documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Tolbert was a corrections officer trainee at Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, on February 24, 2020, and a supervisor observed that he was stopped on the side of the road at about 8:30 p.m.  The supervisor stopped and asked Tolbert if everything was okay, and Tolbert replied that he was waiting on a relative.  The supervisor was suspicious about these circumstances, and left instructions to have Tolbert and his belongings searched when he arrived for his shift.  Investigators conducted the search as instructed, and discovered methamphetamine ice, marijuana, earbuds, a SIM card, cigars, two bottles of liquor and two knives, which Tolbert intended to smuggle into the prison and deliver to certain inmates.   

United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed the sentence of 135 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release when Tolbert is released from custody.  No fine was imposed but Tolbert was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $100.        

The case was investigated by the Alabama Department of Corrections, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man was sentenced yesterday for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Marshal Martin Keely.

United States District Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Lionel Caffey, 27, to 60 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.   Caffey pleaded guilty to the charge in December 2020.

On April 28, 2020, the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force went to a Birmingham hotel to arrest Caffey on an outstanding state warrant for attempted murder.  According to testimony at his sentencing, Task Force officers encountered Caffey after he walked out of his third-floor hotel room.  Caffey fought with officers and reached for his waistband during the struggle.  One officer felt a pistol in Caffey’s waistband and alerted the other officers.  Caffey broke free from the officers and kicked in the door of another third-floor hotel room.  He then attempted to jump out of a closed window at the back of that room, but the window did not break.  At that point, officers were able to gain control of him.  Even after being cuffed, Caffey continued to reach for his waistband.  The pistol was found on the floor in the room where he was handcuffed.

“Convicted felons who possess firearms are among those who are most likely to commit a violent crime,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said.  “Prosecuting the drivers of violence in our communities is a top priority of my office.”

The United States Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Baty prosecuted the case.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that United States District Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock sentenced defendant Hannibal Moore, 37, to 80 months imprisonment after a federal jury found him guilty at trial in December 2020 on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. As part of his sentence, the judge ordered that the defendant receive substance abuse treatment as directed by the U.S. Probation Office, pay a special assessment of $100, and be supervised by federal probation officers for 3 years after finishing his prison term.

The jury heard two days of evidence during the trial, which began on December 7, 2020. According to the evidence introduced at trial, Moore was staying with his then-girlfriend at her home in Mobile. Moore had been arrested the day prior in Hoover, Alabama, for a domestic violence incident involving the same woman. The woman’s ex-husband was concerned for her well-being and went to her house to check on her. Once there, he encountered Moore, who refused to leave the home. The ex-husband could see visible bruising to the woman’s face. The ex-husband did leave but returned to the home about two hours later with a friend. The friend had a key to the woman’s house, because he had changed the locks on the house the day prior, at her request. The friend was similarly concerned about the woman’s welfare and used his key to go into the house. As he entered the house, he was shot by Hannibal Moore. The man did survive his injury.

Moore had previously been convicted of the same offense, being a felon in possession of a firearm, in Birmingham on May 26, 2020.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Mobile Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Francisco Jesus Ramirez, 26, of Brownsville, Texas, was sentenced today for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 30 kilograms of methamphetamine and five kilograms of heroin. Ramirez pled guilty to the charges in March of 2021.

According to the documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Ramirez was identified following a traffic stop in January of 2020 on I-65 in Mobile County during which 30 kilograms of methamphetamine and five kilograms of heroin were seized from a co-conspirator driving Ramirez’s truck. The drugs were destined for delivery in Atlanta, Georgia, and investigators attempted to make a controlled delivery of the drugs at that destination. Ramirez was in telephone contact with the driver of the load during the trip and participated in the arrangements for the delivery of the drugs. A juvenile male picked up with heroin and was stopped and identified by authorities in Atlanta. No delivery of the methamphetamine could be accomplished following the seizure of the heroin. The truck driver assisted the investigators and Homeland Security agents were able to identify Ramirez as a participant in the scheme.

Chief United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed a 72-month sentence in Ramirez’s case, which would be followed by a five-year term of supervised release. Ramirez was also ordered to pay $100 in mandatory special assessments. No fine was imposed.

The case was investigated by the Saraland Police Department, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announces that a federal jury in Montgomery, Alabama found defendant Tiffany Culliver Franklin, 41, of Montgomery, guilty on all charges in a financial fraud case. Chief United States District Judge L. Scott Coogler presided over the trial, which started on June 7, 2021 and ended the following day. Franklin is scheduled to be sentenced in the fall of 2021.

On April 7, 2021, a federal grand jury for the Middle District of Alabama charged Franklin with violations of 18 U.S.C. §§ 656 (theft or embezzlement by a bank employee) and 1344(1) (bank fraud), which carry a maximum potential sentence of 30 years, and 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years.

The jury heard evidence that between June 2015 and July 18, 2017, Franklin was a vault teller with Branch Banking and Trust Company (BB&T), working at a local branch in Montgomery. An internal audit revealed that the vault drawers under Franklin’s control were short $202,000. Franklin gave a written statement to a bank investigator in which she expressed remorse for her conduct and admitted to embezzling $202,000 from the bank.

The jury also heard evidence that from January 2012 to December 2014, Franklin was employed as a personal banker at a Wells Fargo branch in downtown Montgomery. In October 2014, Franklin used her Wells Fargo credentials to create and obtain a debit card to make numerous ATM check deposits into and immediate cash withdrawals from an elderly customer’s account. A Wells Fargo investigator interviewed Franklin, who admitted that she had issued the debit card in the elderly customer’s name and had been using ATMs to deposit checks from her own bank account into the customer’s Wells Fargo account.

Finally, the jury heard evidence that from September 2017 to June 2018, Franklin worked as a bookkeeper at Goodwyn Middle School (GMS) in Montgomery. Evidence introduced at trial established that during her time as GMS’s bookkeeper, Franklin stole at least $13,216 in money and property that belonged to GMS. She stole $6,995 in money taken in by GMS that should have been deposited into the school’s bank account. Franklin also diverted for her personal benefit $675 taken in by GMS through gate receipts at various athletic events and $3,074 taken in by GMS from various classroom teachers. Moreover, Franklin withdrew from and failed to redeposit into GMS’s bank account $2,400 meant for use at various GMS athletic events. Finally, Franklin used a GMS-issued Walmart Community Card to make unauthorized purchases of various personal items, including Walmart gift cards. In September 2019, during an interview with investigators from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, Franklin confessed to stealing GMS’s money and gambling with it at casinos.

The United States Secret Service and the Alabama Attorney General’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Justin Roller are prosecuting the case.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that William Thomas Carver II, 44, of Saraland, was sentenced today for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  In January of 2021, Carver pled guilty to the conspiracy charge and a charge of carrying a firearm in relation to and in furtherance of the drug trafficking felony.

According to documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Carver participated with several others in the conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  He had different sources of supply and several distributors who received methamphetamine from him for further distribution in Mobile and Baldwin Counties.  Carver was arrested with a firearm, methamphetamine and cash in his vehicle by Saraland police, and he provided information to federal and local agencies about the scope of some of his illegal activities. 

United States District Court Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock imposed a 248-month sentence in Carver’s case this morning, consisting of 188 months as to the drug count, to run consecutively to the 60-month sentence imposed for the gun count.  Upon his release from custody, Carver was ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release.  Carver was also ordered to pay $200 in mandatory special assessments.  No fine was imposed.  The judge further entered a forfeiture order as to the firearm used in the commission of the crime.    

The case was investigated by the Saraland Police Department, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that on May 13, 2021, En Chim was sentenced in federal court to more than 23 years in prison after being convicted by a jury of all counts of a five-count indictment. En Chim was sentenced to 115 months custody for two robberies in Bayou La Batre, Alabama and being a felon in possession of a firearm. En Chim received a sentence of 84 months in two additional counts for the use of a firearm to commit the robberies. These sentences are to run consecutive to all other sentences. The total sentence Chim will serve is 283 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer also ordered Chim to serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison and pay $1,100 in restitution.

At the trial held January 25 and 26, 2021, the jury found Chim guilty on all counts.  Witnesses and video evidence showed that Chim and another unidentified individual entered a convenience store in November 2018 demanding money and waving handguns at the attendant. Two weeks later Chim and the same unidentified individual entered a sandwich shop as it was closing for the evening. Again, En Chim and his accomplice demanded money from the register and a wallet and cell phone.

Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the Bayou La Batre Police Department investigated this case along with the assistance of the United States Attorney’s Office.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that David Kenneth Martin, 37, of Midland, Texas, has been sentenced for his participation in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy which occurred in Baldwin County during 2016 through 2018.  In May of 2020, Martin pled guilty to the conspiracy charge.
 
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a 96-month sentence in Martin’s case and ordered that Martin serve a five-year term of supervised release when he is released from custody.  Martin was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $100.  No fine was imposed.        

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Baldwin County Drug Task Force.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Uriel Frederico Romero-Rodriguez, of Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin. 

Romero-Rodriguez pled guilty to the charge in January of 2021.  On February 11, 2020, United States Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package originating from Arcelia, Guerrerro, Mexico.  The package purported to be a wheel of cheese addressed to a residence in Foley, Alabama.  However, officers discovered approximately 443 grams of heroin concealed inside the wheel of cheese.  On February 13, 2020, the package was delivered to the address in Foley.  Romero-Rodriguez arrived shortly thereafter to pick up the package.  Officers immediately arrested Romero-Rodriguez when he picked up the package.  As part of his plea agreement, Romero-Rodriguez admitted he and his co-defendant made an agreement to distribute the heroin. 

United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a mandatory sentence of 60 months imprisonment.  The judge also ordered Romero-Rodriguez to serve a four-year term of supervised release upon his discharge from prison.  Judge Moorer ordered that Romero-Rodriguez pay $100 in special assessments. 

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Kopf.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Ashley Nicole King, 30, of Foley, Alabama, has been sentenced for her participation in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy which occurred in Baldwin County during 2016 through 2018.  In August of 2019, King pled guilty to the conspiracy charge.
 
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a 90 month sentence in King’s case, and ordered that King serve a five-year term of supervised release when she is released from custody.  King was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $100.  No fine was imposed.      

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Baldwin County Drug Task Force.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Christopher Ryan Snider, 37, of Foley, Alabama, was sentenced to fourteen years in prison for his participation in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy which occurred in Baldwin County during 2016 through 2018.  In May of 2020, Snider pled guilty to the conspiracy charge and a charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking felony.
 
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a 168-month sentence in Snider’s case, consisting of 120 months on the drug charge to be served consecutively to 60 months on the gun charge.  The judge ordered that Snider serve a five-year term of supervised release when he is released from custody.  Snider was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $200.  No fine was imposed.        

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Baldwin County Drug Task Force.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell. 

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Gabrielle Danielle Goss, 38, of Birmingham, Alabama, was sentenced for her participation in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy which occurred in Baldwin County during 2016 through 2018.  In May of 2020, Goss pled guilty to the conspiracy charge.
 
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a 96-month sentence in Goss’ case and ordered that Goss serve a five-year term of supervised release when she is released from custody.  Goss was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $100.  No fine was imposed.

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Baldwin County Drug Task Force.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell. 

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Demetrius O’Neill Bryant, 33, of Greensboro, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for possessing multiple stolen firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Bryant pleaded guilty to the charge in January of 2021.

In connection with his guilty plea, Bryant admitted that on December 21, 2019, he possessed three loaded firearms in his residence in Greensboro. Two of the firearms recently had been reported stolen from gun stores in Demopolis, Alabama and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In close proximity to the firearms, agents recovered marijuana, two sets of digital scales, and a box of plastic baggies. In a garbage can outside of Bryant’s residence, agents also recovered sales tags corresponding to stolen firearms and observed several large vacuum seal bags emitting the odor of marijuana. Bryant admitted that he frequently has sold marijuana from his Greensboro residence, that he possessed the marijuana, scales, and related paraphernalia recovered from his residence, and that he possessed the firearms recovered from his residence in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Additional undisputed evidence introduced at Bryant’s sentencing hearing established that during his December 2020 arrest on the federal warrant in this case, agents recovered additional firearms, narcotics, and a stolen firearm silencer.

United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a sentence of 60 months’ incarceration, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release. During that time, Bryant will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse. The court did not impose a fine, but the judge ordered Bryant to pay a $100 special assessment.

This case was investigated by the Greensboro and Tuscaloosa Police Departments, the Hale County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Roller.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Frederick Turner, 42, of McBee, South Carolina, was sentenced today in federal court for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime. 

Turner was found guilty of the charges on February 1, 2021.  Turner admitted he and his co-defendant, Sylvia Guerra, traveled with 32 kilos of cocaine through the Southern District of Alabama.  Specifically, the Court found that on December 20, 2019, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations unit conducted a traffic stop on a tractor trailer that was being driven by Turner.  During the traffic stop, Turner made several suspicious statements to the corporal who had stopped the truck.  The corporal then had his K9 partner conduct a free air sniff around the vehicle.  The K9 gave a response at the passenger running board, sleeper birth and passenger door.  Law enforcement officers then conducted a search of the truck.  During a search, a duffel bag containing 32 kilos cocaine was located on the sleeper bed and a pistol was located in a backpack on the passenger seat. A personal use amount of marijuana was also found on the person of Guerra. Turner was interviewed and ultimately admitted to accepting payment for transporting $120,000 in cash to Houston on an earlier trip and for accepting two duffel bags of cocaine for transportation to South Carolina. Turner admitted that the pistol in his truck was his.

Chief United States District Court Judge Kristi DuBose imposed a sentence of 180 months imprisonment, consisting of 120 months on the drug charges and a consecutive sentence of 60 months on the gun charge.  The judge also ordered Turner to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his discharge from prison.  Judge DuBose ordered that Turner pay $300 in special assessments.  Guerra was sentenced on March 6, 2021 to 120 months for her role in the offense.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorneys Deborah Griffin and Kacey Chappelear.  

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Alvie Mark Waltman, 48, of Mobile, was sentenced today for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  In January of 2021, Waltman pled guilty to the conspiracy charge.

According to documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Waltman was identified during an investigation that began with the arrest of one of the members of the conspiracy on I-10 by the Saraland Police Department.  Police found methamphetamine and a gun in his vehicle.  Through undercover work and an analysis of that subject’s phone, Waltman was identified as a member of the distribution network.  Waltman provided $4,730 in cash to the cooperating co-conspirator to purchase additional methamphetamine for Waltman to distribute in Mobile.   Waltman was arrested when he attempted to take possession of nine ounces of methamphetamine.  Waltman was advised of his rights and he agreed to make a statement to investigators, admitting his involvement in the conspiracy. 

United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a sentence of 108 months imprisonment, and ordered that Waltman serve a five-year term of supervised release when he is released from custody.  Waltman was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $100.  No fine was imposed.      

The case was investigated by the Saraland Police Department, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Zachary Wood, 22, of Gulf Shores, Alabama, was sentenced today in federal court on a charge of receipt of child pornography.  Wood pled guilty to the charge in January of 2021. 

According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency received a tip that eight files had been uploaded to Google Drive on February 1, 2018, some of which were reported to contain a visual depiction of children engaged in sex acts.  Google provided specific information related to the IP address and email address associated with the account and the uploads.  ALEA investigators issued a subpoena to CenturyLink to obtain the subscriber information associated with the IP address. On May 8, 2018, agents executed a search warrant at the address in Gulf Shores.  Wood is a resident at that address.  Wood was interviewed and admitted to transmitting the images.  Agents analyzed four devices and found over 10,000 images of child pornography and child erotica.

The analysts also located numerous images involving human mutilation, including images of dismembered females posed for pictures and images of necrophilia with mutilated corpses. There were multiple series of files that focus on the mutilation of a single victim. There were multiple instances of naked females that are impaled and roasting on a spit.  Wood also had authored a note on his phone where he expressed hatred and disdain for women, that he believes they should only be used as sexual objects for men, and that they should be killed once they reach age 60.

United States District Court Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock imposed a sentence of 60 months imprisonment.  The judge ordered that Wood be supervised by federal probation officers for the rest of his life, beginning upon his discharge from prison.  Upon his release from prison, Wood will be required to undergo sex offender treatment and to register as a sex offender.  Judge Beaverstock ordered that Mitchell pay $5100 in special assessments and $135,415 in restitution.  Wood will be prohibited from have any contact with minors.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc

The case was investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and Homeland Security Investigations.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Jakendis Jacoby Westry, 19, of Mobile, was sentenced today for his participation in an armed carjacking which occurred in Mobile during December of 2019.  In January of 2021, Westry pled guilty to the charge of discharging a firearm during and in furtherance of the carjacking, a crime of violence under federal law.

According to documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Westry participated with  other men in an armed robbery and carjacking of an individual who was trying to buy a gun from Westry through Facebook. The victim fled, and three or four shots were fired by the perpetrators.  The day after the carjacking, Westry was apprehended with his co-defendant Dorian Lakeith Webb, Jr., in the stolen vehicle.  Officers also found two pistols in the car, one of which had been reported stolen, and the victim’s wallet was found in the console of the stolen vehicle.  Officers also found numerous rounds of loose ammunition for 9mm and .40 caliber pistols in the car.  

United States District Court Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock imposed a ten-year mandatory sentence in Westry’s case this morning, and ordered that Westy serve a five-year term of supervised release when he is released from custody.  Westry was also ordered to pay $200 in restitution and a mandatory special assessment of $100.  No fine was imposed.  The judge further entered a forfeiture order as to the firearm used in the commission of the crime.    

The case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Tiffany Lynn Snider, 32, of Foley, Alabama, was sentenced today for her participation in an organization which distributed substantial amounts of methamphetamine ice in Baldwin County during 2017 through 2018.  In May of 2020, Snider pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking felony.

Court documents show that Snider personally distributed methamphetamine ice on numerous occasions beginning in April of 2017 through April of 2018.  During July of 208, investigators received consent to search Snider’s residence where many of the drug sales took place.  They recovered methamphetamine, smoking devices used to ingest methamphetamine, scales and guns.  Snider claimed one of the guns, which was later discovered to be stolen.  Other members of the distribution conspiracy include Snider’s husband, Christopher Ryan Snider, who also entered a guilty plea to federal charges.  His sentencing is presently set for May 13, 2021. 

United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a 96-month sentence of imprisonment in Snider’s case this morning, consisting of 60 months on the gun charges consecutive to 36 months on the drug charge.  The judge ordered that Snider serve a five-year term of supervised release when she is released from custody.  She was also ordered to pay $200 in mandatory special assessments.  No fine was imposed.  The judge further entered a forfeiture order as to the firearms used in the commission of the crime.    

The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Foley Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell. 

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Jorge Elizondo, 31, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced today in federal court for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin. 

Elizondo pled guilty to the charge in November of 2020.  As part of his plea agreement, Elizondo admitted he and his co-defendant, Charles Jefferson, made an agreement with a source in Mobile, Alabama to sell to the source approximately one kilogram of heroin for $49,000.  On June 8, 2020, Elizondo and Jefferson arrived in Tillman’s Corner with one kilogram of heroin to make the sale.  They were arrested that day. 

United States District Court Chief Judge Kristi DuBose imposed a mandatory sentence of 120 months imprisonment.  The judge also ordered Elizondo to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his discharge from prison.  Judge DuBose ordered that Elizondo pay $100 in special assessments.  Jefferson received the same sentence on February 11, 2021.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorneys Kacey Chappelear and Justin Kopf.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Jose Alberto Seguy, 24, of Brownsville, Texas, was sentenced today for his participation in the transportation of approximately 32 kilograms of methamphetamine ice and five kilograms of heroin from Texas to Atlanta, Georgia during January of 2020.  Seguy pled guilty to federal charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, and possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking felony in May of 2020.

According to documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Seguy was the passenger in a truck stopped northbound on I-65 on January 9, 2020 by the Saraland Police Department. Seguy told officers he had a pistol in the car but no valid permit to carry it. A drug dog alerted on the rear of the truck for the presence of narcotics. Further investigation and a search of the truck revealed three large fire extinguishers and two vehicle batteries which appeared to have after-market seams and welds. Inside one of the batteries officers found five kilograms of heroin, and inside the fire extinguishers, officers found approximately 30 kilograms of methamphetamine.

United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed a ten-year sentence in Seguy’s case this morning, consisting of 60 months on each charge, to run consecutive to each other.  Judge Steele also ordered that Seguy would serve a five-year term of supervised release when he is released from custody.  Seguy was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $200.  No fine was imposed.  The judge further entered a forfeiture order as to the firearm used in the commission of the crime.    

The case was investigated by the Saraland Police Department, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Eugene Garrett, 43, of Greensboro, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for possessing multiple stolen firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Garrett pleaded guilty to the charge in September of 2020.

In connection with his guilty plea, Garrett admitted that on December 21, 2019, he possessed ten firearms—seven of which had been reported stolen—in his camper in Greensboro. Many of the firearms recently had been stolen from gun stores in the Tuscaloosa, Alabama area in December 2019. In close proximity to the firearms, agents located hundreds of rounds of assorted ammunition, 27 bags of marijuana, loose marijuana, digital scales, and plastic baggies. Garrett admitted that each of the firearms belonged to him, that he was a convicted felon who was not supposed to possess firearms, and that the drugs, scales, and related paraphernalia seized from his camper also belonged to him. Garrett said he sold marijuana on the side and admitted that his possession of the firearms was in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a sentence of 36 months’ incarceration, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release. During that time, Garrett will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse. The court did not impose a fine, but the judge ordered Garrett to pay $100 in special assessments.

This case was investigated by the Greensboro and Tuscaloosa Police Departments, the Hale County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Roller.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Dorian Lakeith Webb, Jr., 19, of Mobile, was sentenced today for his participation in an armed carjacking which occurred in Mobile during December of 2019.  In December of 2020, Webb pled guilty to the charge of brandishing a firearm during and in furtherance of the carjacking, a crime of violence under federal law.

According to documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Webb participated with two other men in an armed robbery and carjacking of an individual who was trying to buy a gun through Facebook. The victim fled, and three or four shots were fired by the perpetrators. Several weeks later, Webb was pulled over driving 86 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone. When the car was stopped, Webb had a black bag on his lap containing a Glock pistol. Analysis of the Glock and the fired cartridges recovered from the carjacking confirmed that the pistol in Webb’s possession matched the spent casings. Webb admitted in his plea that he was one of the men involved in the carjacking.

United States District Court Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock imposed a seven-year mandatory sentence in Webb’s case this morning, and ordered that Webb serve a five-year term of supervised release when he is released from custody.  Webb was also ordered to pay $200 in restitution and a mandatory special assessment of $100.  No fine was imposed.  The judge further entered a forfeiture order as to the firearm used in the commission of the crime.    

The case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Aaron Lavell Lamar, 30, of Foley, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for being a convicted felon in possession of firearms. Lamar pleaded guilty to the charge in December 2020.

In connection with his guilty plea, Lamar admitted that on September 30, 2019, he possessed a .40-caliber pistol and a .38-caliber revolver in a car that he was driving in Foley. At the time he possessed the firearms, Lamar had prior felony convictions, including Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Marijuana, First Degree in the Circuit Court of Baldwin County, Alabama. Lamar admitted that at the time he possessed the firearms, he knew he was a convicted felon and therefore could not legally possess firearms. Evidence introduced at Lamar’s sentencing hearing further established that Lamar possessed the firearms, one of which was loaded and chambered, in close proximity to a small amount of crack cocaine and a digital scale.

United States District Court Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock imposed a sentence of 70 months’ incarceration, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. During that time, Lamar will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse and mental health counseling. The court did not impose a fine, but the judge ordered Lamar to pay $100 in special assessments.

This case was investigated by the Foley Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Roller.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that United States District Chief Judge Kristi DuBose sentenced defendant Bryan Thompson, 44, to 35 years imprisonment on a charge of production of child pornography and a charge of distribution of child pornography.  Thompson pled guilty to the charges in December 2020.

 According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, in November of 2015, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency was provided with details of a joint investigation between the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department in New Mexico and the FBI.  The Bernalillo Sheriff’s Department had been engaged in an online child exploitation investigation and identified a person in Alabama as someone who was trading child pornography online.  Investigators were able to obtain a search warrant for the IP address which was sharing child pornography, and the physical address was associated with Thompson.

On November 12, 2015, a search warrant was executed at Thompson’s residence.  Thompson was interviewed and admitted that he joined chat groups and received child pornography images and videos from a number of those chat groups.  Agents seized numerous electronic devices from the home.  A forensic analysis was completed by Homeland Security Investigations.  The examination revealed that the two hard drives, one tablet, several smartphones and one micro SD card contained 971 images and 214 videos of child exploitation material. 

During the forensic analysis of the devices, the forensic analyst discovered images that appeared to show Thompson performing sex acts on a pre-pubescent minor.  On January 2, 2018, Thompson was interviewed.  He was advised that the forensic analysis had been completed on his devices and that the analysis revealed that he had sexually abused a minor and documented the abuse electronically.  Thompson admitted that he had inappropriate contact with a pre-pubescent minor, who was then about six years old.  Thompson detailed the abuse for investigators, and admitted that he had filmed it.  Agents again seized all electronic devices in the home.
 
In July 2018, a forensic analyst completed analysis on all the devices seized from Thompson in January.  The analysis confirmed that there were approximately ten images created that showed Thompson’s sexual abuse of the minor.  The analyst further located 394 images and 43 videos which appear to be child sexual abuse imagery in the laptop seized in 2018.  There were also 547 child erotica and age-indeterminate images.  There were 435 child sexual abuse images and 4 videos on Thompson’s cell phone that was seized in 2018.  There were also 1706 child erotica and age-indeterminate images.

Thompson gave permission to Homeland Security agents to take over his KIK account.  Once in the KIK app, agents located a number of messages in chatrooms where child pornography was being advertised and distributed.  In one such group, Thompson had posted a link to a MEGA account which contained 970 images of child pornography, including child bestiality and child S&M images.  Of those images, over 900 of them were videos, and the remaining were still images.  This same link to the MEGA account was shared in at least three different chat rooms.  The content of the chat rooms makes it clear that the users were engaged in sharing child pornography.

United States District Court Chief Judge Kristi DuBose imposed a sentence of 35 years imprisonment.  The judge ordered that Thompson undergo mental health treatment while incarcerated.  The judge further ordered that Thompson be supervised by federal probation officers for the rest of his life after finishing his prison term, and he is to have no contact with minors.  Upon his release from prison, Thompson will be required to register as a sex offender.  Judge DuBose ordered that Thompson pay $10,200 in special assessments.    

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that on February 9, 2021, a South Alabama jury convicted Reginald Howell of Mobile, Alabama, of one charge of Escape.  Howell is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2021, before United States District Judge Kristi DuBose.  The maximum penalty that could be imposed for the offense is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

In October 2020, Reginald Howell was housed in the Conecuh County Jail pending trial in the Southern District of Alabama on a 14-count indictment alleging multiple counts of robbery, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, burglary involving controlled substances, and brandishing a firearm.  Howell escaped from the jail, then returned, using bolt cutters to cut his way back through the jail’s perimeter fences.  The investigation indicates that Howell returned to the jail to smuggle contraband into the facility.  Howell’s trial on the remaining charges against him is scheduled for April 2021.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Conecuh County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kasee Heisterhagen and Deborah Griffin.

United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced today that United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced defendant Stanley Young, a/k/a “New York,” a/k/a “Shoota,” 32, of Selma, Alabama, to imprisonment for 17 years for committing an armed bank robbery. As part of the sentence, the judge ordered that Young undergo five years of supervised release, pay $47,423 in restitution, and pay a $200 mandatory special assessment.

On December 30, 2019, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama indicted Young and his two codefendants, Jabriel Bell and Fortune Hoppins, for robbing the bank and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Hoppins and Bell pleaded guilty to the bank robbery charge last July. The Court sentenced Hoppins and Bell each to 10 years in prison.

In October 2020, a trial jury convicted Young on both charges following a three-day trial.

The jury heard the evidence that in September of 2016, Young, Bell, and Hoppins robbed the West Alabama Bank & Trust, a federally insured bank in Marion, Alabama. The victim tellers testified that one robber, Bell, held them at gunpoint while another robber, Hoppins, stole money from the tellers’ drawers. Bell and Hoppins forced one of the tellers to go to the bank’s vault and ordered her to open it. All told, the robbers stole $46,923 from the bank.

Eyewitness testimony and expert analysis of historical cell-site records established that Young was the getaway driver. After the robbery, the defendants fled the crime scene, burned the getaway car, and moved to another car to continue their flight from Marion to Selma.

In November 2016, Young and Hoppins—fugitives from justice for the bank robbery—were arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Bridgeport, Connecticut on outstanding warrants from Perry County, Alabama. At the time of his arrest, agents found Young in possession of a backpack containing a stolen and fully loaded Glock Model 17 9mm pistol.

The jury also heard testimony about the burglary of a gun store in Safford, Alabama that occurred after Young and Hoppins had returned to Alabama in 2017.  Young pleaded guilty in a separate federal case to stealing 50 guns with Hoppins and Bell in the Safford burglary. Young had been previously sentenced to 60 months in prison for that crime.

Furthermore, the jury heard evidence that Young attempted to tamper with two material witnesses while awaiting trial on the bank robbery charges. The evidence showed that Young used contraband phones at the jail to access Facebook and offered to pay other inmates $500 to assault one of the witnesses. The second witness was convinced by Young to plead guilty to a crime, lie to federal agents about Young’s involvement, and offer false testimony in court exonerating Young.

The FBI, the Fourth Judicial Drug Task Force, the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion Police Department, the Selma Police Department, and the Bridgeport, Connecticut Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Justin Roller prosecuted the case.

United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced defendant Mitchell Finney, 52, a former deputy of the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, to three years of probation for deprivation of rights under color of law. Finney was convicted of that offense on October 7, 2020, following a jury trial.

During trial, the jury heard evidence that on May 11, 2019, Finney responded to a call for service at the Grove Hill Hospital.  Once there, he made contact with a male patient at the hospital’s geriatric psychiatric ward.  The patient had been disruptive in the hospital, and hospital employees had called for police assistance.  Other law enforcement officers had arrived on scene first, subdued the man, and taken him into custody.  Finney then arrived on scene and approached the man to ask him to take a seat in a patrol car.  The man did not comply and spat in Finney’s direction.  Finney then punched the man in the face.  Finney then retreated to his patrol car, obtained a can of pepper spray, and sprayed the man in the face for an extended period of time.  The man was handcuffed throughout the interaction with Finney.

The United States recommended a custodial sentence of incarceration. The Court imposed a three-year probationary sentence. Finney was not ordered to pay a fine, but the judge ordered him to pay $100 in special assessments.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case.

United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Roderick Oneal Pritchett, 30, of Arlington, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for being a convicted felon in possession of a stolen firearm. Pritchett pleaded guilty to the charge in October of 2020.

In connection with his guilty plea, Pritchett admitted that on January 26, 2019, he was arrested in possession of a stolen firearm by agents of the Fourth Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force in Dixons Mills, Alabama. Specifically, agents observed Pritchett walking away from a nightclub while keeping his right arm down by his side. Pritchett stopped between two parked cars, squatted down at the rear of a Chevrolet Camaro, stood back up, and continued walking away while being ordered to stop. Pritchett eventually complied with agents’ orders to stop. On the ground behind one of the Camaro’s rear tires, agents recovered a stolen Glock .40-caliber pistol, which was equipped with a high-capacity 30-round magazine and loaded with 18 rounds of ammunition. At the time he possessed the stolen pistol, Pritchett knew he had prior felony convictions, including a conviction for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person (Felon) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. Pritchett’s prior felony convictions rendered his possession of a firearm illegal under federal law.

United States District Court Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock imposed a sentence of 57 months’ incarceration, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. The court did not impose a fine, but the judge ordered Pritchett to pay $100 in special assessments.

This case was investigated by the Fourth Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Justin D. Roller.

United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced defendant Matthew Blaine Till, 34, a former officer of the Selma Police Department, to five years’ probation for obstruction of justice by corrupt persuasion of a witness. Till pleaded guilty to three felony obstruction-of-justice charges on September 25, 2020.

In connection with his guilty plea, Till admitted that on April 30, 2020, he used force against a citizen while on duty as a Selma police officer. On multiple occasions thereafter, Till instructed a fellow law enforcement officer not to say anything to anyone—including a federal agent—regarding a phone call Till had received from his wife shortly before the use-of-force incident. Till admitted that he gave those instructions with the intent to hinder, delay, or prevent the communication to a federal law enforcement officer of information relating to the possible commission of a federal civil-rights violation.

The United States recommended a custodial sentence of incarceration. The Court imposed a five-year probationary sentence. Till was not ordered to pay a fine, but the judge ordered him to pay $300 in special assessments. Additionally, as part of his plea agreement, Till will no longer be able to work in local, municipal, state or federal law enforcement, nor as a corrections officer or private security guard.

Following the Court’s pronouncement of Till’s sentence, United States Attorney Richard W. Moore said, “We have always made clear that the U.S. Attorney’s Office supports law enforcement officers and we have specifically emphasized that you do not assault those officers. It is equally true that we hold law enforcement officers to a high standard and if they violate the rights of citizens and, as in this case, obstruct justice by attempting to cover up what they have done, we will vigorously prosecute them. I appreciate the investigation done by the FBI and the Alabama Attorney General’s Office in this case. This former Selma police officer has been removed permanently from law enforcement. We recommended to the district court judge a custody sentence within the guidelines but ultimately it was the judge’s decision to put Till on probation.”

Till has pending state criminal charges in Dallas County, Alabama. On September 29, 2020, a state grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Till, charging him with second-degree assault, a felony, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, a misdemeanor, and obstructing governmental operations, a misdemeanor. An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until and unless he or she is proven guilty at trial.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Alabama Attorney General investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Roller and Deborah Griffin prosecuted the federal case in coordination with the Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson, who is prosecuting the state case.