BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A federal judge today sentenced a convicted felon on a drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley.
U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced Terry Roshaun Pruitt, 37, of Birmingham, to 180 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine.
According to court documents, in September 2021, Pruitt ignored officer commands and drove through a license and insurance checkpoint being conducted by Birmingham Police officers. A brief chase ensued in which Pruitt crashed his vehicle into a tree and fled on foot. Officers pursued and caught him in an alley after he tripped over brush. In attempting to handcuff him, an officer found him holding a grocery bag under his body that contained crack cocaine weighing 291 grams.
In October 2008, Pruitt pleaded guilty to trafficking 50 grams or more of cocaine base and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and was sentenced to 151 months in prison. Pruitt was on supervised release at the time of his arrest on the new charge.
“Arising from a simple traffic enforcement checkpoint, Pruitt was caught again with dangerous drugs he intended to distribute in our communities," U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “We are grateful for the coordinated work of our federal and local law enforcement partners in taking this dealer off the street."
“The sentencing today of Terry Roshaun Pruitt sends a message to all who engage in the distribution of illegal drugs: we will work together to see that anyone involved in this illicit trade will be brought to justice," Byerley said.
The DEA investigated the case, along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Baty prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
