Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
On April 21, 2025, a federal court in Mobile, Alabama, sentenced Phyliss Joy Ferris of Wake Forest, North Carolina to 24 months imprisonment for her role in a conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute.
The investigation stemmed from an incident on October 24, 2022, when the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office Special Operations Unit conducted a traffic stop on Ferris on Interstate 65 due to a traffic violation. During the stop, officers detected the smell of marijuana, prompting a search of the vehicle. Ferris, who was driving alone, had in her possession a marijuana dispensary jar lid with remnants of a green leafy substance.
Officers also found a bottle of "Blunt Bomb" in Ferris' purse, a substance frequently used to mask the odor of marijuana. Ferris admitted to purchasing the Blunt Bomb during her trip specifically for this purpose.
The search revealed a Ziploc bag wrapped in duct tape inside the spare tire well in the vehicle's rear cargo area. The bag's contents, visible through cracks in the tape, appeared to be cocaine. Subsequent testing confirmed that the substance was cocaine, weighing 1007 grams.
In an interview with a DEA Task Force Officer, Ferris acknowledged receiving payment for previous trips on behalf of the organization that hired her to transport cocaine from Texas to North Carolina.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit. Prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.
