Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
A Foley man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon while fleeing from law enforcement in a stolen vehicle.
Court documents state that Jabari Maliek Stots, 28, was driving a stolen vehicle in the Mills area of Foley on November 19, 2024. When Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office deputies attempted to stop him, Stots led them on a high-speed chase exceeding 100 miles per hour through residential neighborhoods. He ignored stop signs and traffic lights and narrowly avoided several other vehicles.
The pursuit ended after deputies used a “pit” maneuver to disable the vehicle. Stots then fled on foot with a pistol in his hand and ran into a field. A deputy fired at Stots after seeing him turn toward a pursuing K-9 while still holding the gun; the shot did not strike him.
Deputies and the K-9 continued their pursuit through standing rainwater. Despite repeated commands to drop his weapon, Stots resisted arrest until he was bitten by the K-9 and apprehended by deputies. He was transported to a hospital for treatment of his injuries.
A search of the stolen vehicle revealed methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The .22 caliber pistol discarded by Stots was later recovered from the water by a diver with Daphne Search and Rescue. Jail recordings captured Stots admitting he had possessed and thrown away the pistol during his attempt to evade arrest. At that time, he had previous felony convictions for breaking and entering a motor vehicle, burglary, and aggravated cruelty to animals, making it illegal under federal law for him to possess any firearm.
In addition to serving 96 months in prison, United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer ordered that Stots will be subject to three years of supervised release following his sentence, including mandatory drug testing and mental health evaluation or treatment. No fine was imposed but Stots must pay $100 in special assessments; his pistol was forfeited to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced these details.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office on this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—an initiative using Department of Justice resources such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) programs—to address violent crime linked with cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and illegal firearms possession.
