United States Drug Enforcement Administration

MOBILE, AL – On November 29, 2023, United States District Court Judge, Callie V. S. Grande sentenced David Erik Crumpton to 292 months imprisonment for his role in a multi-defendant interstate drug trafficking conspiracy.

Documents filed with the Court established that Christopher Perales, from the state of Texas, would regularly supply Crumpton in Mobile, Alabama, with pound quantities of methamphetamine starting in approximately 2019. During the conspiracy Perales and Crumpton opened a joint checking account at Woodforest National Bank in Texas in order for Crumpton to be able to pay Perales for the methamphetamine. From July 27, 2020, through December 7, 2020, Crumpton made deposits of $125,000 into the joint account for the methamphetamine he purchased from Perales.

Perales hired the co-defendant, Daniel Castillo-Garcia, to serve as a drug courier/driver who would transport the methamphetamine from Texas to Lafayette, Louisiana for Perales. Once in Lafayette, Castillo-Garcia would meet the co-defendant David Willis Hale, who had been hired by Crumpton and HJB, to transport the methamphetamine back to Mobile for them. On some occasions, Castillo-Garcia drove the methamphetamine from Texas all the way to Mobile, Alabama for Perales. Also, on some occasions Crumpton and another co-conspirator drove themselves to Texas to obtain the methamphetamine directly from Perales.

On August 3, 2020, Crumpton and another co-conspirator had directed Hale to drive to Lafayette, Louisiana to pick-up approximately 672 grams of methamphetamine from Castillo-Garcia, that had been sent by Perales. On this occasion another co-conspirator had provided HALE $8,000 in US currency to purchase the methamphetamine. During the trip, on the way to purchase the methamphetamine, Hale was stopped and arrested in Hancock County, Mississippi. Hale had approximately 50 grams of methamphetamine, also provided to him by the same co-conspirator who provided him the US currency, ten ecstasy pills, 1 gram of heroin and the $8,000 in U.S Currency.

On October 12, 2020, the Mobile Police Department (MPD) Narcotics Unit conducted a search warrant on the home of co-defendant Julie Alesia Roberts in Theodore, Alabama and recovered approximately 615 grams of methamphetamine from Roberts. Crumpton and Roberts had agreed and conspired for Roberts to store the methamphetamine at her home. Both Crumpton and Roberts had a separate customer base they distributed methamphetamine to.

On December 7, 2020, the MPD Narcotics Unit conducted a traffic stop on a 2007 Black Suburban bearing a Texas license plate and being driven by Castillo-Garcia. Following the stop, investigative team members conducted a search of the vehicle and seized approximately 491 grams of crystal methamphetamine. The seizure occurred after a recorded phone call was made from a confidential informant to Perales ordering a pound of methamphetamine and Perales stating he would send his courier to Mobile to deliver the methamphetamine.

On December 28, 2020, a Harrison County, Mississippi highway interdiction unit stopped Hale on Interstate 10 Eastbound. As a result of the stop law enforcement seized approximately 300 grams of crystal methamphetamine from Hale. Hale was in the process of delivering the crystal methamphetamine to Crumpton in Mobile Alabama.

Roberts was previously sentenced by the Court and Perales, Castillo-Garcia and Hale have all plead guilty and are pending sentencing.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mobile Police Department, Narcotics Unit, the Harrison and Hancock County, Mississippi, Sherriff’s Offices and the Galveston County Texas Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.