Bay Minette Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal Court

United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Chaney Darnell Thomas, 30, of Bay Minette, Alabama, was sentenced to 262 months’ imprisonment for his participation in the distribution of drugs and the use of a firearm in connection with that crime.  Thomas pled guilty to three charges in June of 2018-- possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of or in relation to a drug trafficking felony; and felon in possession of a firearm. 

United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed the 262-month sentence this morning, consisting of 202 months and 120 months on the drug count and the felon in possession count, respectively, and ordered that they run concurrently.  On the charge of using the gun in relation to a drug felony, the judge ordered that the statutory consecutive minimum mandatory sentence of 60 months run consecutively to the sentences in the other counts, totaling a sentence of 262 months.  Thomas will serve a total of 6 years on supervised release following the completion of his imprisonment, and the judge ordered that he would undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse while under supervision.  The judge did not impose a fine but ordered the imposition of $300 in special mandatory assessments.

The case was investigated by the Bay Minette Police Department, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Daphne Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria A. Bedwell.