On April 21, 2025, in Mobile, Alabama, United States District Court Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Phyliss Joy Ferris of Wake Forest, North Carolina, to 24 months in prison. Ferris was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.
Court documents indicated that the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office Special Operations Unit stopped Ferris on October 24, 2022, on Interstate 65 due to a traffic violation. During the stop, a deputy detected the smell of marijuana, prompting a probable cause search of Ferris' vehicle. Ferris, who was driving alone, had a marijuana dispensary jar lid with remnants of marijuana in the vehicle, as well as a bottle of "Blunt Bomb" in her purse, a product used to mask the smell of marijuana. Ferris admitted she purchased the "Blunt Bomb" to cover the marijuana smell during her trip.
Further searching revealed a duct-taped Ziploc bag inside the spare tire well in the rear cargo area. Through the cracks in the tape, officers identified white powder consistent with cocaine. The DEA Laboratory later confirmed the substance as cocaine, weighing 1007 grams. Ferris disclosed to a DEA Task Force Officer that she had been paid to make previous trips transporting cocaine from Texas to North Carolina for the organization that hired her.
The investigation into the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office Special Operations Unit, with prosecution handled by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.