Birmingham Man Sentenced to 5 ½ Years in Prison on Fentanyl Charge

ANNISTON, Ala. - A Birmingham man has been sentenced for a fentanyl-related drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer.

U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Demarcus Hill, 42, to 66 months in prison. In April, Hill was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to evidence presented at trial, Hill and his co-defendant, JT Toombs, drove from Birmingham to Atlanta, Georgia, where they picked up over 2000 fentanyl pills to bring back to Birmingham. During the return trip, an Oxford Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle on Interstate 20. His canine detected the odor of narcotics, and the officer discovered the fentanyl pills during a search of the vehicle.

The DEA investigated the case along with the Oxford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Byrd prosecuted the case.