U.S Postal Workers Arrested For Drug Trafficking in Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa Communications Officer Sgt. Brent Blankley released a statement announcing that agents have been working together on a joint investigation since late 2014 to combat drug trafficking using the US Mail as a delivery service.

The West Alabama Narcotics Task Force, Federal Bureau Of Investigation - Tuscaloosa Office, U.S. Postal Inspectors, and U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General worked together during the investigation.

The investigation focused on the trafficking of illegal drugs though the U.S. Mail into Tuscaloosa County. During 2014, Agents discovered a higher rate of Marijuana being shipped into Tuscaloosa and began to suspect that U.S. Postal Service employees were participating in a drug distribution. It is estimated that the drug distribution involved more than 500 pounds of Marijuana.

In Tuscaloosa County, workers at three separate post offices were involved in the distribution. The post offices were located in Northport, Downtown Tuscaloosa, and on Skyland Blvd in Tuscaloosa. Drug traffickers recruited and began paying U.S. Postal Service employees to facilitate the delivery of the inbound drug packages which were supposed to be delivered to members of the drug trafficking organization headed by Quincy Doss. In exchange for their participation, postal employees were paid cash by the drug traffickers. The postal employees would also tip off the dealers not to accept packages if they knew law enforcement had been alerted to drugs inside a particular package. This made the investigation very difficult but over time agents were able to determine the employees who were part of the drug operation.

The investigation is still ongoing and additional arrests and charges will be made in the upcoming days. The U.S. Postal Service workers that were arrested knew the packages contained drugs and were part of the criminal operation.

Jocelin Latrice Betts, 27 years old, of Tuscaloosa was arrested on 7/31/15 for 1 Count of Trafficking Marijuana, and 1 Count of Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana. She was placed in the Tuscaloosa County Jail pending a $1,530,000.00 bond. Betts was a post office employee.

Lenard Dewayne Pompey, 38 years old, of Tuscaloosa was arrested on 8/03/15 for 2 Counts of Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana. He was placed in the Tuscaloosa County Jail Pending a $60,000.00 bond. Pompey was a post office employee.

Quincy Terrell Doss, 34 years old, of Tuscaloosa was arrested on 7/30/15 for 2 Counts of Distribution of Marijuana, 1 Count Attempted Distribution of Marijuana, and 1 Count of Attempted Possession of Marijuana 1st Degree, and 1 Count Trafficking Marijuana. He was placed in the Tuscaloosa County Jail pending a $1,605,000.00 bond.

Manuel Johnson, 34 years old, of Tuscaloosa was arrested 0n 8/03/15 for 2 Counts of Distribution of Marijuana, 1 Count of Attempted Distribution of Marijuana, 1 Count of Attempted Possession of Marijuana 1st Degree, and 1 Count of Conspiracy to Traffic Marijuana. He was placed in the Tuscaloosa County Jail Pending a $1,605,000.00 bond.