Southall Drug Distributor Sentenced In Federal Court

MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced in federal court on November 9, 2023, for his participation in the Darrin Southall drug distribution organization. Lawrence Williams, 50, was initially arrested in  a round-up of Southall’s organization in May of 2021. Williams pled guilty to the charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin in August of 2021.  
    
According to court documents, law enforcement officers were monitoring Southall’s phones pursuant to a court order. Calls between Southall and Williams were monitored and recorded as the conspirators planned for multiple deliveries of cocaine and arranged with other local distributors to pass it out to them. Williams was accountable for the distribution of 73 kilograms of cocaine and 3 kilograms of heroin.   
  
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed a sentence of 10 years in Williams’ case, to be followed by five years on supervised release after his release from custody. As conditions of supervision, Williams will undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that the defendant pay $100 in special assessments. The judge ordered the forfeiture of a long list of property seized during the investigation.
      
The case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Saraland Police Department, the St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.