From The Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM — A Birmingham man was sentenced this week to 72 months for drug and gun charges.
“Jefferson County is experiencing near all-time highs in both homicides and drug overdose deaths, with drug fatalities increasing 70 percent over the last two years,” United States Attorney Prim. F. Escalona said. “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to do all that we can to protect our community from illicit drug trafficking and to prevent firearms from coming into the possession of prohibited people.”
Sills was arrested during a police checkpoint at the intersection of 29th Avenue North and 29th Street North in Birmingham.
The plea agreement states Birmingham Police Officers reportedly detected the odor of marijuana coming from Sills’ white Mercedes Benz, and he admitted to officers that he had “smoked a blunt earlier that day just outside the vehicle.”
While searching the vehicle, numerous plastic sandwich bags were found under the driver’s seat. In addition, in the backseat center armrest, officers found a clear plastic sandwich bag containing marijuana, a plastic bag containing 30.79 grams of heroin, a small digital scale, and more empty sandwich bags. Officers also found a 9mm Sig Sauer pistol in Sills’ waistband.
Birmingham Police Department helped investigate the case with the Drug Enforcement Administration.