Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
Henderson Pippins, a 45-year-old resident of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced on September 25, 2025, to more than 16 years in federal prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization led by Darrin Southall. Pippins faced charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, as well as possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Court documents indicate that Southall managed a large-scale criminal operation distributing significant quantities of controlled substances in the Mobile area and laundering drug proceeds through various accounts and nominees. Pippins acted as a kilogram-level distributor within this network. In February 2022, Southall received a 35-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to operating a continuing criminal enterprise, drug distribution, and conspiracy to launder drug money.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer handed down the sentence for Pippins and ordered five years of supervised release following his imprisonment. As part of his supervision conditions, Pippins will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse and may be subject to searches based on reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed; however, he must pay $200 in special assessments.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Mobile Police Department, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Saraland Police Department, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case.
"The case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Saraland Police Department, the St. Tammany Parish Louisiana Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration," according to court records.
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