Nine East Alabama Residents Sentenced for Running a Drug Trafficking Operation in Macon County

           Montgomery, Alabama – The ninth and final defendant was sentenced this week for his role in a Macon County-based drug trafficking operation. This concludes a series of sentencings involving nine members of a violent, neighborhood-based organization called the “31 Boys,” named for County Road 31 in Notasulga, Alabama.

           The following provides more detail about the various defendants convicted and sentences imposed:

• On December 7, 2022, Trenton Rashad Daniel, 28, a resident of Pike Road, Alabama, was sentenced to 192 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for maintaining a drug premises and for possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. Trenton Daniel pleaded guilty to the charges on February 24, 2022.
   
• On November 16, 2022, Jerrod Moss, 28, a resident of Opelika, Alabama, was sentenced to 168 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for maintaining a drug premises and for possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. Moss pleaded guilty to the charges on July 29, 2022.
   
• On September 9, 2022, Davorious Marquise Ferrell, 26, a resident of Auburn, Alabama, was sentenced to 111 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and for possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. Ferrell pleaded guilty to the charges on April 22, 2022.
   
• On August 25, 2022, Kiam Tyrek Lowery, 23, a resident of Tuskegee, Alabama, was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. Lowery pleaded guilty to the charge on May 24, 2022.
   
• On August 23, 2022, Ricardo Devon Sheriff, 37, also a Tuskegee resident, was sentenced to 63 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sheriff pleaded guilty to the charge on April 27, 2022.
   
• On June 30, 2022, Michael Javon Daniel, 28, also a Tuskegee resident, was sentenced to 240 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for maintaining a drug premises. Michael Daniel pleaded guilty to the charge on April 1, 2022.
   
• On June 17, 2022, Ladarius Dontae Davis, 33, a resident of Tallassee, Alabama, was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for maintaining a drug premises. Davis pleaded guilty to the charge on January 21, 2022.
   
• On May 31, 2022, Tre’von Miquel Lyles, 22, also a Tuskegee resident, was sentenced to 42 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for maintaining a drug premises. Lyles pleaded guilty to the charge on January 26, 2022.
   
• On April 21, 2022, Marcus Joquin Williams, 24, also a Tuskegee resident, was sentenced to 147 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and for possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. Williams pleaded guilty to the charges on January 7, 2022.
   

           All nine defendants were charged in a single indictment in Montgomery on August 17, 2021. There is no parole in the federal system.

           According to court documents and records, in 2018, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) and the FBI began an investigation of the 31 Boys for the suspected sale of illegal drugs in Macon County. Using various investigative techniques, agents were able to identify individual members of the organization and connect the conduct of each member to the overall drug trafficking venture. Investigators soon discovered that Michael Javon Daniel, who received the 240-month sentence, was the leader of the group and directed many of the individuals’ roles. Statements made by law enforcement in various court hearings indicated that the Notasulga location used by the organization frequently operated like a “flea market,” with numerous other dealers, essentially functioning as independent vendors, selling a variety of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Some of the methamphetamine seized from the defendants tested at a purity level of 99 percent. This high purity level resulted in some of the defendants being subject to increased advisory Sentencing Guidelines ranges.

            “The safety of our communities is a top priority for my office,” said United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. “So often, violence results when individuals sell drugs and arm themselves while doing so. Communities suffer from the dangerous and harmful operations of organizations like the one at the center of this prosecution. I am grateful for the exceptional work of the law enforcement agencies involved in this case.”   

           “As law enforcement officers we have a duty to protect and serve the citizens of this great state, but we also have a fundamental responsibility to preserve the communities in which they live,” said ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor. “Shortly after assuming my role as Secretary of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), I charged Special Agents with our State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) with this, no matter what area an Alabama citizen called home, they would feel safe and live without fear, and not suffer the adverse impacts which often plague communities where the sell and use of these illegal narcotics occur. I am truly grateful to all our law enforcement partners at both the local and federal level. If not for their cooperation and diligent work this drug trafficking organization and the individuals associated with it would never have been brought to justice.”

          “The number of defendants in this case is a testament to the tremendous work being done all over the state of Alabama and in particular Macon County,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Removing the people that sell drugs in our communities alongside our partners from ALEA will make our quality of life continue to improve.”

           This case was investigated by ALEA and the FBI, with assistance from the Tuskegee Police Department and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon W. Bates and Kevin P. Davidson prosecuted the case.