Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
A Foley man has been sentenced to 85 months in prison for possessing a firearm connected to a shooting incident. Ladarious Roper, 22, had previously been convicted of a felony offense of violence.
Court documents reveal that Roper possessed a CZ Scorpion semi-automatic weapon during a shooting on October 11, 2024. On that day, emergency services received reports of five shots fired and a victim being shot in the lower leg. The victim stated he was shot by an individual wearing a red ski mask from a sedan. Police found an abandoned gold/beige Toyota Camry in front of a residence in Foley. Witnesses observed four black males fleeing from the vehicle, one wearing a red ski mask and carrying an AR-style pistol. The car was registered to Roper’s grandfather and known to be driven by Roper.
During the investigation, police recovered an AR-style pistol and a red ski mask near the scene. A cell phone belonging to Roper was also retrieved from the Camry. Videos extracted from this phone showed Roper holding what appeared to be the same CZ Scorpion Evo 3 S2 Micro firearm found at the scene.
Chief Judge Beaverstock sentenced Roper to 85 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $100 in special assessments. Additionally, the judge mandated forfeiture of the firearm.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello announced these developments, crediting the investigation conducted by Foley Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case for the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations through resources from Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
