MOBILE, AL - Several Baldwin County defendants were sentenced to prison for participating in a methamphetamine-trafficking organization.

According to court documents, Douglas McArthur Watts, Jr., 40, of Foley, Daryl Wayne Thomas, 46, of Elberta, David Joel Murphy, 52, of Summerdale, Benny Joe Ray, Jr., 48, of Foley, Danielle Lea Morris, 51, of Foley, and Jack Carnell Rowe, 34, of Foley, pleaded guilty to taking part in a massive drug-trafficking organization ("DTO"), led by Watts, that distributed kilograms of bulk methamphetamine. Between June 2022 and July 2024, agents seized large amounts of methamphetamine, firearms, cash, and other drugs from Watts and members of the DTO.

On several occasions in 2023 and 2024, narcotics agents conducted audio and video-recorded controlled purchases of various amounts of methamphetamine from Watts, Thomas, Murphy, Ray, Morris, and Rowe at several locations in Baldwin County. For example, on June 20, 2023, Rowe sold an informant 9.5 grams of methamphetamine in Foley. On July 18, 2023, Watts sold an informant 91.17 grams of methamphetamine in Foley. On September 28, 2023, agents seized 20.14 grams of methamphetamine and other evidence from a trailer belonging to Ray and Morris in Foley. On January 16, 2024, agents seized 96.4 grams of methamphetamine from Thomas during a "buy-bust" in Foley. And on February 14, 2024, Murphy sold an informant 27.3 grams of methamphetamine in Summerdale. These are non-exhaustive examples.

In July 2024, agents executed a search warrant at the apartment of one of Watts's suppliers in Pensacola, Florida. During that search, agents seized more than three kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 221 grams of fentanyl, several loaded firearms, and $56,949 in bulk cash. Text messages and other data extracted from cell phones seized from the defendants illustrated the extent of their drug-trafficking activities, including tens of thousands of dollars' worth of drug-related Cash App payments and discussions of purchases and sales of pounds of methamphetamine.

For their roles in the conspiracy, U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced the defendants as follows: Watts will serve 120 months in prison, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release; Thomas will serve 141 months in prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release; Murphy will serve 131 months in prison, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release; and Ray will serve 60 months in prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release. Morris and Rowe will be sentenced at a later date. During their supervised release terms, each defendant will be subject to drug testing and treatment, and Murphy will receive mental health evaluation and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered the defendants to pay a total of $400 in special assessments.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office investigated the case. The Escambia County Sheriff's Office (Florida) and the Florida Highway Patrol substantially assisted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Mobile comprises agents and officers from, among others, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Alabama.