A federal judge in Montgomery sentenced the final defendant on Aug. 4 in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that brought narcotics and other contraband into Elmore Correctional Facility, Alabama. Five defendants have now been sentenced for their involvement in the scheme.
On July 30, Lilbrian Rondarrius Ladd, 28, a former inmate at Elmore Correctional Facility, received a sentence of 215 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. After his prison term, Ladd will serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Thomas Govan and Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott of the Drug Enforcement Administration New Orleans Field Division announced the sentencing. Govan said, “Those who attempt to smuggle drugs into our prisons, whether they are inmates or individuals on the outside, must be held accountable. This conduct endangers staff, inmates, and the public, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop it.”
Scott said, “Whether you are coordinating from behind bars or driving the drop-off from the outside, your illicit business will end in a federal courtroom. This operation is a clear win for public safety and reflects our unwavering commitment to Operation Take Back America.”
The other co-defendants were previously sentenced: Lawrence Alexander Dudley received 240 months; Ja’meria Quanay Snowden received 120 months; Jarod Allen Poe received 145 months; Chasity Pearl Lee Cox was sentenced to 46 months. All sentences include supervised release following imprisonment.
According to court documents and statements during plea hearings, authorities began investigating after learning that Ladd coordinated deliveries of narcotics into Elmore Correctional Facility starting in 2024. Ladd worked with Poe—also incarcerated—and Dudley, Snowden, and Cox outside the facility to smuggle methamphetamine and other contraband inside using various methods of concealment. On May 23, agents arrested Dudley near Elmore Correctional Facility as he attempted a delivery.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division investigated this case; Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Levi, Eric M. Counts, and John J. Geer III prosecuted it.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime.