HEFLIN, Ala. — A Georgia man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison following a drug trafficking arrest stemming from a traffic stop in Heflin.
Cornelius Jermine Vincent, 46, of Atlanta, was taken into custody on January 10, 2021, after a Heflin police officer stopped his vehicle on Interstate 20 for swerving between lanes. During the stop, the officer reported smelling marijuana, which led to a search of the vehicle.
Authorities discovered multiple illegal items, including marijuana, powder cocaine, 29 ecstasy tablets, a kilogram of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a Springfield Armory Model 1911 .40 caliber handgun.
Investigators determined Vincent was traveling from Sandy Springs, Georgia, to Gadsden to deliver drugs. He later pleaded guilty in April 2024 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze handed down the 180-month sentence. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in partnership with the Heflin Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany T. Byrd as part of Operation Take Back America.
