A man who reportedly retrieved a pound of pure meth hidden in a barbecue grill to distribute in Mississippi city was convicted in federal court.

Alfredric James, 37, of Columbia, Mississippi, was charged in a federal indictment with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  After a three-day trial, James was found guilty of both counts.

U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.

According to court documents and trial testimony, on December 9, 2020, James retrieved a pound of pure methamphetamine hidden by two of his conspirators in a barbecue grill at a residence in Hattiesburg.  Having been alerted to the transaction, agents attempted to stop James’s vehicle. James fled but was apprehended with the meth after a short pursuit.  James was responsible for distributing over 8 kilograms of methamphetamine to the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area in a two-month period in the Fall of 2020.

James will be sentenced on January 12, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett.  He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Don’t Tell On Me Bro,” which began as an operation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area. “Don’t Tell On Me Bro” is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lamar County Sheriff’s Office, Forrest County Sheriff’s Office, Hattiesburg Police Department and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.

 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Keesha Middleton and Shundral Cole.