Member of Montgomery Drug Trafficking Organization Convicted of Conspiracy, Drug, and Gun Charges

            Montgomery, Alabama – On Friday, August 23, 2019, Cyrus Phyfier, a 51-year-old resident of Montgomery, was found guilty on multiple drug and firearm related charges, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. A federal jury convicted Phyfier of all ten counts in his indictment after a weeklong trial.

            Evidence presented at trial showed that Phyfier was a member of a drug trafficking organization that distributed large amounts of illegal drugs in Montgomery starting sometime in 2013 and continuing through January 2016. Specifically, Phyfier was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute powder cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana; possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute; being a felon in possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The other charged members of the conspiracy previously pled guilty in federal court.

            Phyfier’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 5, 2019 where he faces 25 years to life on the conspiracy count, up to five years to be served consecutively for being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and he may be eligible for an additional 15 years under the Armed Career Criminal Act for having three or more convictions for serious drug offenses.

            The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and the Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, with assistance from the State of Alabama Attorney General’s Office, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service (USMS). U.S. Attorney Franklin commended the investigative agencies for their collaborative effort in bringing the organization to justice.

            This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Curtis Ivy, Jr., Stephanie Billingslea, Alice LaCour, and Brett Talley.