BIRMINGHAM – A Bessemer man was sentenced on drug and gun charges on Wednesday, Nov. 15.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Haikala sentenced Tahji Alonzo Orr, 24, to 96 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and illegally possessing a machine gun: a Glock 9mm pistol equipped with a “Glock switch” – an after-market device designed to illegally convert a semiautomatic Glock pistol to a fully automatic machine gun. Orr pleaded guilty to the charges in July.
According to the plea agreement, on March 14, 2022, a Hoover police officer initiated a traffic stop on Orr. The officer seized a Glock 9mm pistol equipped with a Glock switch, 428 grams of marijuana, and 1.285 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl.
ATF investigated the case along with U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, Hoover Police Department, and Bessemer Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Royster prosecuted the case.