A Mobile man linked to Darrin Southall's drug trafficking organization has been sentenced in federal court. Nathaniel Hines, 41, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine in August 2021.
Court documents revealed that Hines was a distributor for Southall and was listed in the organization's drug ledgers. Federal investigators intercepted phone calls between Hines and Southall, where they used coded language to conceal their activities. The investigation documented that Hines received multiple kilograms of cocaine for distribution in Mobile through these calls and cell phone analyses conducted after arrests were made. In total, approximately 30 members of Southall’s organization have faced prosecution in federal court.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose sentenced Hines to 75 months in prison. Following his release, he will serve five years on supervised release, during which he must undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse and be subject to searches upon reasonable suspicion. Additionally, Judge Dubose ordered Hines to pay $100 in special assessments and forfeited any interest he had in seized property to the United States.
The case involved investigations by multiple agencies including the Mobile Police Department, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, among others. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case for the United States.