MOBILE, AL–A federal judge in Mobile sentenced a Mobile man to serve fifteen years in prison following the defendant’s guilty plea to being in possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute and to possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, Acting United States Attorney Eugene A. Seidel of the Southern District of Alabama announced today. Willie James Standberry, 36, pleaded guilty to the charges in February 2009, and faced a minimum statutory sentence of ten years in prison on the drug trafficking charge and a minimum statutory five years on the firearms charge. By law, the sentences are to be served consecutively.. In a plea agreement, prosecutors recommended the low end of the guideline sentencing range when Standberry waived his right to trial and entered his guilty plea. The charges arose from two separate incidents in 2008. According to reports, Standberry was arrested in a traffic stop by Mobile police in May 2008, and had in his possession over 22 grams of crack cocaine and 58 grams of powder cocaine. In October 2008, Standberry was arrested after being shot in an apparent drug deal, and had in his possession a firearm. Standberry’s sentence in the drug case was enhanced due to a prior felony drug conviction.

The charges resulted from investigations conducted by the Mobile Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cherry.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Alabama at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/als. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Alabama at http://www.als.uscourts.gov.

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