Portsmouth Man Pleads Guilty to “Zombie” Drug Offense

NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute para-flourofentanyl mixed with Xylazine, a combination known as the Zombie drug, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm.   

According to court documents, Ali L. Scott, Jr., 32, was distributing controlled substances in Portsmouth. On November 10, 2022, Portsmouth Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms executed arrest warrants on Scott while he was a passenger in a vehicle. The police discovered a firearm near him and a backpack with 23.76 grams of a mixture containing para-flurofentanyl and Xylazine. Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” “tranq dope” or “zombie drug,” is a horse tranquilizer used by the veterinary industry. Mixing it into fentanyl increases overdose deaths and severe medical complications — including terrible flesh wounds causing rotting of the skin and leading to amputation.  Xylazine also makes it much harder to revive people after fentanyl overdoses, and the chemical adds another layer of intense addiction and cravings.

Scott is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Stephen Jenkins, Chief of Portsmouth Police; and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Comstock is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-76.