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Date: 06-21-2019
Case Style:
United States of America v. Ernestine Arlecia Brazile, Taralicia Petrice Witherspoon and Nicole Lasha
Case Number: 1:18-cr-00213-KD-N
Judge: Kristi K. DuBose
Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama (Mobile County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: George F. May and Lawrence J. Bullard
Defendant's Attorney: Paul D. Brown fro Ernestine Arlecia Brazile
LaWanda Jean O'Bannon for Taralicia Petrice Witherspoon
Description:
Mobile, AL - Three Pensacola Women Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy
Ernestine Arlecia Brazile, Taralicia Petrice Witherspoon, and Nicole Lasha Lewis were sentenced on June 14, 2019 for their roles in conducting a drug conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine in violation of 21 USC § 846. Brazile and Witherspoon were each ordered to serve a term of imprisonment of 121 months followed by 5 years of supervised release. Lewis received a time served sentence followed by 3 years of supervised release. The defendants’ guilty pleas were accepted by the Court on February 19, 2019.
In October 2017, a Confidential Informant (CI) informed police officers from the Mobile Police Department (MPD) that he/she could buy methamphetamine from a female from Pensacola. MPD police officers contacted the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to assist in the investigation and an undercover MPD officer (UC) was introduced to Ernestine Arlecia Brazile by the CI and five controlled buys were made between October 2017 and January 2018. The defendants were very consistent in their actions during each of the five sales of methamphetamine to the UC. During each sale, Brazile would drive to Mobile in a vehicle that was registered to her co-defendant, Nicole Lasha Lewis. While Brazile drove the vehicle, Lewis would ride in the front passenger and Taralicia Petrice Witherspoon would ride in the back seat during the trips to Mobile.
The three defendants would meet the UC at the same gas station in Mobile County. During each drug buy, Brazile would get into the UC’s vehicle front passenger seat and Witherspoon would get in the back seat of the UC’s vehicle. At that point, the UC would provide the money to Witherspoon and Witherspoon would provide the methamphetamine to the UC. Each buy was set up via phone calls and/or text messages from the CI to Brazile to order the methamphetamine. Although Lewis stayed in the passenger seat of her vehicle as the drug deals were being brokered, she would later confess that she knew drug transactions were taking place and she allowed her vehicle to be used for all of the drug deals. The total amount of methamphetamine that the three defendants conspired among themselves and others to distribute and sell was approximately 420 grams of pure (Ice) methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Mobile Police Department.
Outcome: JUDGMENT as to Nicole Lasha Lewis. Sentenced to TIME SERVED as to Count 1; SRT 3 years, with special conditions (1) substance abuse testing & treatment (2) model search condition (3) first 6 months of SRT to be served at RRC, so defendant can continue to work. SA $100.00. Count(s) 2-6, Dismissed. Signed by Chief Judge Kristi K. DuBose on 06/19/2019. (nah) (Entered: 06/20/2019)
Witherspoon:
Imprisonment 121 months with recommendations to the BOP (1) incarcerated as close to Pensacola, FL as possible (2) imprisoned at an institution where a residential, comprehensive, substance abuse treatment program is available; SRT 5 years, with special conditions (1) substance abuse testing & treatment (2) model search condition. SA $100.00
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: