Alabama Men, Including Ex-State Trooper, Implicated and Sentenced for Cocaine Distribution
In a significant law enforcement operation, a drug trafficking network operating in Alabama has been dismantled following a multi-agency investigation led by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF).
The operation, which began in 2023, targeted a network that was moving a significant amount of cocaine into Alabama communities. The DEA, in collaboration with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, spearheaded the investigation, with the Elmore County Sheriff's Office, Millbrook Police Department, Montgomery Police Department, Prattville Police Department, and other local authorities also involved.
The investigation culminated in the conviction of several key members of the network. Jim Carter, Jr., a 58-year-old resident of Montgomery, was convicted on charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and was sentenced to 327 months in federal prison. Carter's accomplice, Othello Howard, 29, also from Montgomery, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 46 months in prison.
Three other individuals, Bryce Johnson, 38, of Union Springs; Maria Beatriz Palomo-De Lopez, a 41-year-old Mexican national; and Raul Ramos Deleon, another Mexican national, also pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after deportation. Johnson was sentenced to 210 months in prison, while Palomo-De Lopez and Deleon received sentences of 21 months and 27 months, respectively.
The group's activities were further disrupted by the conviction of Saundra Curry, 63, of Deatsville, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
In a related development, Michael Evans, a 53-year-old former Alabama State Trooper, was convicted of conspiracy and sentenced to 72 months in prison.
The investigation reached a critical juncture on June 10, 2024, when agents seized six kilograms of cocaine during a delivery to Carter by Francisco Lopez, a 39-year-old from Texas. Lopez was later convicted on charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and sentenced to 136 months in prison.
Kevin Davidson, Acting U.S. Attorney, stated that the sentences reflect the seriousness of their crimes, while Hofer, Special Agent in Charge, stated that they had dismantled a criminal pipeline that exploited borders and poisoned communities.
For more information about this case, please contact reporter Jacob Holmes at jholmes@our website.
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