Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
A Mobile man, Derrick C. Busby, has been sentenced to two years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentencing follows his arrest by Mobile Police Department officers on October 22, 2023, during a traffic stop.
Court documents reveal that officers observed marijuana on Busby's lap and saw him consuming prescription-only promethazine syrup and marijuana. A search of Busby's vehicle led to the discovery of a loaded Taurus 9mm pistol, a loaded extended magazine, and a digital scale. The pistol was reported stolen to the Daphne Police Department in December 2022.
Busby admitted possession of the pistol, acknowledging it might have been connected to a homicide and admitting he was not supposed to be near firearms due to his felony convictions for robbery and burglary. These prior convictions made his possession of the weapon illegal under federal law.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced the sentence. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alongside the Mobile Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted on behalf of the United States.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence by uniting law enforcement at all levels with community efforts to ensure safer neighborhoods. The initiative was reinforced on May 26, 2021, with strategies focusing on trust-building within communities and supporting organizations preventing violence.
For further details about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit justice.gov/PSN.
