A Mobile resident, Derrick C. Busby, has been sentenced to two years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentencing followed Busby's arrest on October 22, 2023, during a traffic stop by the Mobile Police Department. Officers observed marijuana on his lap and witnessed him consuming promethazine syrup and swallowing marijuana. A search of his vehicle revealed a loaded Taurus 9mm pistol, an extended magazine, and a digital scale. The pistol was reported stolen to the Daphne Police Department in December 2022.
Busby confessed to having the firearm despite knowing it might be stolen and potentially linked to a homicide. He also acknowledged his status as a convicted felon prohibited from handling firearms due to previous convictions for robbery and burglary.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alongside the Mobile Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case.
This legal action is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities.