An Elberta man, Marcus Allen Heaton, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing and intending to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in Baldwin County, Alabama. The sentencing took place on October 28, 2024, after a lengthy investigation that traced Heaton’s criminal activities from 2019 to 2021.
Heaton, 38, was initially stopped in May 2021 by Baldwin County sheriff’s deputies for a vehicle violation involving improper rear lights. During the stop, a drug-detecting dog alerted deputies to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed 132.6 grams of methamphetamine and 6.58 grams of fentanyl, both packaged for resale. Investigators also seized Heaton’s phone, which contained numerous messages related to his drug distribution activities.
Heaton pled guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances—methamphetamine and fentanyl—in June 2024. Based on the amount of methamphetamine involved and his prior serious drug convictions, U.S. District Judge Jeffery Beaverstock imposed the mandatory 15-year sentence for the methamphetamine charge. For the fentanyl charge, Heaton received a concurrent sentence of 130 months.
In addition to his prison sentence, Heaton will serve five years of supervised release upon his release from prison. He will also be subject to drug testing, treatment, and potential searches by his probation officer. No fine was imposed, but Heaton was ordered to pay $200 in special mandatory assessments.