Leader of Coffee County Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced

Montgomery, Alabama – On June 9, 2020, Bryant Dewayne Pouncy, a 47 year old resident of Enterprise, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 360 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, conspiracy to maintain a drug-involved premises, maintaining a drug “stash house,” and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. and FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell. Following his 30-year prison sentence, Pouncy will be on supervised release for ten years.

The investigation began in July 2016 after the FBI shifted its focus from another drug organization operating in Houston County. Through the authorized interception of telephone calls and text messages, controlled purchases of methamphetamine, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative means, law enforcement learned that Bryant Pouncy was in a leadership role in the conspiracy, using his co-defendants—some of them family members—to assist in carrying out his drug trafficking business. Evidence gathered during the investigation indicates the organization was responsible for obtaining wholesale amounts of methamphetamine for distribution in South Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

According to the superseding indictment, the drug conspiracy continued until sometime in January 2018. It is difficult to know precisely how much methamphetamine the organization was responsible for distributing during its operation. However, during the sentencing hearing, law enforcement testified that at least 12 kilograms could be linked to it from March to October of 2017, with Pouncy being directly responsible for acquiring five kilos.

The federal guidelines called for a significant sentence in this case due to a number of factors, including the offense level of the drug charges, Pouncy’s prior criminal history, and his leadership role in the drug trafficking organization. The sentencing judge determined that Pouncy was responsible for directing the business affairs of the organization, giving orders to co-conspirators, and recruiting members to assist with operations, including his sister. In addition, his sentence was enhanced because of the purity of the methamphetamine that he and his co-defendants were distributing. Lab reports indicate that much of the methamphetamine tested was 97 to 98 per cent pure. This more potent form of methamphetamine is often called “ice” and resulted in a substantial enhancement being applied to his sentence.

The following eight other members of the organization were previously sentenced:

1. Antonio Tyrell Pouncey— 41 year old from Enterprise, Alabama. On January 14, 2020, he was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by ten years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
2. Ervin Gene Bradham— 56 year old from Enterprise, Alabama. On July 24, 2019, he was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to maintain a drug-involved premises and for his active role in running a “stash house” used to sell methamphetamine and marijuana;
3. Santos Rivera-Fernandez— 39 year old from Atlanta, Georgia. On July 16, 2019, he was sentenced to 116 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
4. Lynn Renfroe Donaldson— 53 year old from Enterprise, Alabama. On July 11, 2019, she was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
5. Rogelio Israel Pimentel — 23 year old residing in Rex, Georgia at the time of his arrest. On July 10, 2019, he was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act;
6. Kimberly Christina Pouncy— 30 year old from Enterprise, Alabama. On July 10, 2019, she was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
7. Dennis Reinaldo Peralta— 39 year old from Lawrenceville, Georgia. On June 26, 2019, he was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
8. Charles Earl Pouncy— 73 year old from Enterprise, Alabama. On May 29, 2019, he was sentenced to three years of probation for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

All defendants except Dennis Peralta pleaded guilty to the charges. Peralta was convicted after a trial that concluded on March 28, 2019. An additional member of the organization was initially charged as well. However, his whereabouts are unknown.

 “Methamphetamine continues to be the number one drug threat in Alabama and is often linked to numerous property crimes, violent crimes, and deaths each year,” stated U.S. Attorney Franklin. “Due to its purity, the meth, or “ice,” that was being imported in this case, was even more dangerous and addictive. Make no mistake, this organization was bringing in a deadly drug and spreading it through our communities. The significant sentences handed down by the court illustrate the serious threat that the drugs represent, and they also show what can be accomplished when federal, state and local law enforcement work together.”

“This case, and its successful result, is a prime example of how the FBI continues to work with its state, local, and federal partners to stop this poison from reaching our streets,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell. “This is proof that all investigative methods will be used to keep our communities safe.”

These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Enterprise Police Department, the Dothan Police Department, the Ozark Police Department, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Marshals Service, the Georgia State Police, the Clayton County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington County, Florida Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Curtis Ivy, Bradley Bodiford, Brett Talley, and Randolph Neeley prosecuted the cases.