David Elbert Hall Sentenced To 120 Months On Marijuana Conspiracy And Firearm Charges

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – David Elbert Hall, 54, of Kingsport, Tenn., was sentenced on Feb. 2, 2016, by the Honorable R. Leon Jordan, U.S. District Court Judge, to serve 120 months in federal prison for his role in an extensive marijuana distribution conspiracy centered in the Eastern District of Tennessee and the Western District of Virginia and possessing one or more firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.  

According to the plea agreement on file with U.S. District Court, Hall admitted that between 2003 and 2015 he conspired to distribute and was accountable for at least 100 but less than 400 kilograms of marijuana.  After another individual received shipments of marijuana from California, Hall often stored them at his farm in Mendota, Va.  Hall also stipulated that he sold marijuana to a number of people, including his son, Michael Elbert Hall, 29, of Kingsport, who was previously convicted and sentenced in federal court to serve 12 months and one day for a marijuana conspiracy charge.  Hall acknowledged that the bulk of the marijuana attributed to his son  came from him. 

In April 2015, Hall was pulled over for a traffic stop in Kingsport.  A search of his person and vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately $32,496.00 in cash, over three pounds of marijuana and a loaded 9mm pistol.  A search warrant was subsequently obtained for Hall’s Kingsport residence, which resulted in the seizure of approximately 110 firearms, $56,989.00 in cash, thousands of rounds of ammunition and over six more pounds of marijuana.  Two of the firearms were determined to be stolen.

Others who were previously sentenced in this conspiracy included: Morris Anthoney Phillips, 39, and Antonio Barrington Parsley, 24, both of Culver City, Ca.; Glenn Draughn, 69, of Kingsport, Tenn.; Larry Thomas Williams, 68, of Mendota, Va.; and Kenny Russell, 57, of Kingsport, Tenn., who were sentenced to 144 months, 46 months, 63 months, 140 months and 60 months in federal prison respectively.

Law enforcement agencies participating in this investigation include the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Second District Judicial Drug Task Force, Kingsport Police Department, Russell County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office and LA IMPACT (Los Angeles Interagency Police Apprehension Crime Task Force), which includes the Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Alhambra, Pomona, Inglewood and Culver City Police Departments.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Taylor represented the United States.  

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