United States Drug Enforcement Administration

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A federal judge in Montgomery has sentenced the final defendant in a drug trafficking conspiracy that funneled narcotics and other contraband into a correctional facility in Elmore, Alabama. In total, five defendants have now been sentenced for their roles in the scheme.

On July 30, 2026, Lilbrian Rondarrius Ladd, 28, a former inmate at the Elmore Correctional Facility, was sentenced to 215 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Following his term of imprisonment, Ladd will serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Thomas Govan and Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Field Division made the announcement.

“Those who attempt to smuggle drugs into our prisons, whether they are inmates or individuals on the outside, must be held accountable,” said United States Attorney Govan. “This conduct endangers staff, inmates, and the public, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop it.”

“Whether you are coordinating from behind bars or driving the drop-off from the outside, your illicit business will end in a federal courtroom,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott. “This operation is a clear win for public safety and reflects our unwavering commitment to Operation Take Back America.” 

The other codefendants were previously sentenced as follows:
•    Lawrence Alexander Dudley, 48, of Birmingham, Alabama, was sentenced to 240 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
•    Ja’meria Quanay Snowden, 27, also from Birmingham, Alabama, received a sentence of 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
•    Jarod Allen Poe, 39, another former inmate at the Elmore Correctional Facility, was sentenced to 145 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
•    Chasity Pearl Lee Cox, 38, of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearings, the Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division and DEA began investigating the conspiracy in 2024 after learning that Ladd was coordinating the delivery of narcotics into the prison. Ladd worked with Poe, while he was also incarcerated at the Elmore Correctional Facility, along with Dudley, Snowden, and Cox, three individuals outside the facility, to smuggle methamphetamine and other contraband behind prison walls.

On May 23, 2024, agents arrested Dudley near the Elmore Correctional Facility after he attempted to access the grounds to deliver contraband. Snowden and Cox also admitted to making multiple deliveries using various methods to conceal their activities.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Levi, Eric M. Counts, and John J. Geer, III prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.