Birmingham Man Sentenced on Drug Charges

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man was sentenced yesterday on charges of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine, and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Heroin announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

Horace Dantai Burgess, Jr., 26, was sentenced yesterday on charges of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, two counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine, and one count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Heroin.  Burgess was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala to 70 months of imprisonment followed by 60 months of supervised release.

Burgess sold methamphetamine to law enforcement on multiple occasions.  In addition, in August 2021, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Burgess.  Burgess refused to stop, and a high-speed chase ensued.  During the chase, Burgess threw a bag containing a significant amount of heroin out of the window.  Burgess is linked to the Hard 2 Kill gang.  Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the Hard 2 Kill gang, better known as H2K. This gang operates in the Birmingham, Alabama area and is known to be involved in acts of violence, illegal drug distribution, and illegal firearm possession.

“Violent street gangs often fund their illegal activities by trafficking illegal drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “By focusing drug enforcement efforts on gang-related dealers, our law enforcement partners can reduce both the violence and the drugs that plague our communities. We are grateful for the efforts of the Birmingham Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and FBI in taking another dealer off the street.”

“As a result of this case, the streets of Birmingham are a little safer and yesterday’s sentence should send a message that violent actors will be held accountable for their criminal acts.  The FBI is committed to the fight against violent crime, and we will continue to work side by side with our state, local, and federal partners to bring criminals like Burgess to justice,” said FBI SAC Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

The case is a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

FBI investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Darius Greene and Kristy Peoples prosecuted the case.