Stephen Matthew Laughlin, Drug Trafficking, Alabama 2021

Blount County Man Sentenced to 23 Years on Drug Charges

A federal judge has handed down a harsh sentence to a Blount County man accused of drug and gun charges. U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced Stephen Matthew Laughlin, 38, to 286 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Laughlin pleaded guilty in December 2021. The charges stem from a traffic stop in Blount County on September 29, 2021, where Laughlin’s vehicle was pulled over for a safety and driver license inspection checkpoint. An officer noticed a large metal piece sticking up off the trailer hitch, which obstructed the view of the vehicle’s tag and was in violation of Alabama state law.

The officer asked Laughlin to pull to the side of the road and wait for the warning citation. However, when the officer walked to his patrol unit, he asked a K-9 deputy to use his narcotics detection K-9 to conduct a free air sniff of the truck. The K-9 positively alerted for the presence of the odor of drugs coming from the truck.

Laughlin then became argumentative with the officers, put his truck in drive and fled the scene. A DEA Task Force Officer began to pursue Laughlin, who accelerated to speeds exceeding eighty miles per hour and threw a red bag out of the driver’s side window. Another officer stopped and retrieved the bag, which was found to contain 997.1 grams of 94% pure methamphetamine.

During the search of Laughlin’s vehicle, officers found a PPS43C Pioneer Arms Corp 9mm semi-automatic pistol and an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 .223 caliber rifle in a soft rifle case located behind the driver’s seat on the bench seat.

The DEA investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Garnett prosecuted the case. Laughlin’s sentence is a harsh reminder of the consequences of drug trafficking and gun charges in Alabama.

Mandatory Facts: Defendant: Stephen Matthew Laughlin; Charges: possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; City and State: Birmingham, Alabama; Date: December 2021; Sentence: 286 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

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