Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
Two men from Grand Bay, Alabama, have been sentenced to lengthy federal prison terms for their involvement in a drug-trafficking conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms. Demetrius Dwayne Powell, 33, received a 20-year sentence, while Diricka Tyrese McCants, 41, was sentenced to 12 years.
According to court documents, both men were arrested on July 30, 2024. Narcotics agents went to a property in Grand Bay with the intent to arrest Powell on an outstanding robbery warrant. When they arrived, agents found Powell and McCants exiting a shed on the property. McCants, who was already on federal supervised release following a previous felony drug-trafficking conviction, told the agents, “Once y’all go in there, I’m gone.”
Inside the shed, law enforcement discovered nearly two pounds of pure methamphetamine along with smaller amounts of crack and powder cocaine. They also found opened vacuum-sealed bags containing marijuana, digital scales, drug packaging materials, and three loaded firearms. After being taken into custody, Powell and McCants had recorded jail calls in which Powell urged McCants to take responsibility for the drugs because of Powell’s violent criminal record. Powell also criticized McCants for ignoring his warnings about police surveillance at the shed.
Agents examined cell phones seized from both men and found text messages, photos, and videos that documented their drug transactions and illegal firearm possession between January and July 2024.
United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer handed down sentences of 240 months for Powell and 144 months for McCants. Both will serve ten years of supervised release after completing their prison terms. The court ordered them to pay $300 in special assessments and forfeited their firearms but did not impose additional fines.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced the sentences.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office with substantial assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a national effort led by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels as well as transnational criminal organizations to protect communities from violent crime.
