FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
June 16, 2016
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Alabama Attorney General
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Page 1 of 2
AG STRANGE ANNOUNCES FINAL SENTENCING OF 15 DEFENDANTS FROM
JOINT FEDERAL-STATE-LOCAL DRUG CONSPIRACY INVESTIGATION
(MONTGOMERY)–Attorney General Luther Strange announced the resolution and
final sentencing of 15 defendants who were indicted in August 2015 on state drug conspiracy
charges in a major joint investigation by state, federal and local law enforcement. These
charges stem from an extensive multi-agency five-month investigation into a drug trafficking
network in Montgomery. Evidence was gathered through wiretaps and surveillance from
February to June of 2015, resulting in state and federal charges that showed how these
individuals made a concerted effort to bring in cocaine and sell it to others.
The 15 state defendants pleaded guilty to charges stemming from their involvement in
the conspiracy to sell and distribute cocaine in Montgomery County. Most defendants agreed
to cooperate and testify against the other members of the conspiracy as part of their plea
agreements. These plea agreements successfully concluded the state prosecutions and
enabled federal prosecutors to successfully prosecute the federal cases connected to the
conspiracy as well. The following 15 defendants have been convicted and sentenced:
- Monroe Bailey, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute Cocaine, 15 years;
- Wilbert Aaron Brooks, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute Cocaine, 10 years split* to
serve 3 years; - Tyrone Demond Foxall, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Possess Cocaine, 104 months split to
serve 27 months; - Richard Lashalazaar Gibson, Conspiracy to Traffick Cocaine, 20 years with reverse split**
to serve 3 years with 5 years of probation first; - Reginald Bernard James, Conspiracy to Traffick Cocaine, 15 years with reverse split to
serve 3 years with five years of probation first; - Craig Edward Johnson, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute Cocaine, 20 years split to
serve 5 years; - Antonio Lydell Lewis, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute Cocaine, 20 years split to serve
3 years; - Samuel Darell Patterson, Conspiracy to Traffick Cocaine, 15 years with reverse split to
serve 3 years with 5 years of probation first; - Harry Peoples, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute Cocaine, 20 years split to serve 5
years;
501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us Page 2 of 2
- Patrick Perry III, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute Cocaine, 10 years split to serve 3
years; - Courtland Lenard Reeves, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Possess Cocaine, 15 years split to
serve 3 years; - Stacy Audrice Toney, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute Cocaine, 20 years split to serve
3 years; - Vashun Lavon Traywick, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Possess Cocaine, 15 years with reverse
split to serve 3 years with 3 years of probation first; - Darron Lamar Wright, Conspiracy to Traffick Cocaine, 15 years with reverse split to serve
3 years with 3 years of probation first; - and Shaffer Larvel Wright, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute Cocaine, 15 years split to
serve 2 years of probation.
“I am grateful for the hard work of the cooperating agencies that made it possible to
shut down this entire drug trafficking organization in Montgomery County,” said Attorney
General Strange. “The citizens of Montgomery County and all of Alabama are safer with this
organization dismantled. The work on this joint investigation and prosecution is an excellent
example of how law enforcement from all levels of government can work together and make
our community safer from the scourge of illegal drugs. I hope that this is a pattern of
cooperation that will continue in the months and years to come so that the citizens of
Alabama can benefit from the exemplary work of the state and federal prosecutors and
cooperating law enforcement agencies.”
Attorney General Strange commended his Criminal Trials Division, noting in
particular Assistant Attorney General John Kachelman III, Special Agents of his
Investigations Division, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office which assisted
with the state prosecutions, and all the agencies involved in this cooperative effort.
The agencies involved in this operation were the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
(DEA), the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation, the Alabama
Fusion Center, the Montgomery Police Department, the Prattville Police Department, the
Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Autauga
County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the U.S. Marshals
Service, the Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District.
The operation was conducted under the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas
program, or HITDA, which is administered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
HIDTA is designed to foster cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement
agencies in sharing information of illegal drug activity and coordinating enforcement of anti-
drug laws.
*In a split sentence, a defendant is sentenced to serve a term of imprisonment, which is suspended to
serve a lesser amount of time. **In a reverse split sentence, the lesser amount of time is not served if the
defendant first successfully completes a period of probation.
