Demetrius Dwayne Powell, Armed Drug Dealing, Alabama 2024

MOBILE, AL – Two Grand Bay men were sentenced to decades in federal prison for their roles in a brazen drug-trafficking conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms.

Demetrius Dwayne Powell, 33, and Diricka Tyrese McCants, 41, were arrested by narcotics agents on July 30, 2024, after agents went to a property in Grand Bay to arrest Powell, who had a pending arrest warrant for a robbery charge.

When agents arrived, they encountered Powell and McCants coming out of a shed on the property. McCants, who was on federal supervised release for a prior felony drug-trafficking conviction, told the agents, ‘Once y’all go in there, I’m gone.’

Inside the shed, agents located and seized nearly two pounds of 100% pure methamphetamine, smaller amounts of crack and powder cocaine, opened vacuum-sealed bags containing small amounts of marijuana, digital scales, drug packaging materials, and three loaded firearms.

Afeter their arrest, Powell and McCants exchanged recorded jail calls in which Powell encouraged McCants to take the rap for the drugs due to Powell’s violent criminal history, which includes convictions for a stabbing assault and felony domestic violence by strangulation. Powell also scolded McCants for not listening to him when he previously suggested that law enforcement had been surveilling the shed in Grand Bay.

Agents searched the contents of cell phones seized from Powell and McCants. The cell phones contained numerous text messages, photos, and videos about the defendants’ drug transactions and illegal possession of firearms between January and July 2024.

United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Powell to 240 months in prison and McCants to 144 months in prison. Upon their release from prison, Powell and McCants will each serve 10-year terms of supervised release, during which time they will be subject to drug testing and treatment.

The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered the defendants to pay a total of $300 in special assessments and forfeited their firearms to the United States.

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