Repeat Offender Sentenced to Prison for Armed Drug Distribution
A South Georgia resident with three prior felony convictions for drug distribution was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison for armed drug distribution.
Quentin Hall, 30, of Valdosta, was sentenced to serve 204 months in prison to be followed by six years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on July 8, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on April 8. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Repeat offenders with guns will face long prison sentences without parole for continuing to endanger others and breaking the law,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Our office is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure career criminals are held fully accountable.”
“This case highlights the critical need for collaboration among law enforcement agencies. Together, we are dedicated to safeguarding our communities and ensuring that those who threaten public safety are brought to justice,” said ATF Atlanta’s Resident Agent in Charge Robert Davis.
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Hall was pulled over for a traffic violation on Nov. 26, 2024, on 7th Avenue in Moultrie, and didn’t immediately pull over, but instead continued driving and entered the Art Center Apartments. While the car he was driving was still moving, Hall jumped out and ran away holding a bookbag.
A Moultrie Police Department officer chased after Hall; Hall threw his bookbag as he ran, then lost his balance and fell to the ground. Hall ignored the officer’s verbal commands to lie on the ground and not move, but pulled out a handgun, pointed it at the officer, and said to “go on” before he turned and ran. The chase continued, with Hall again falling and dropping the gun before picking it up and continuing to run. He ran behind a stairway and eventually surrendered to officers.
Law enforcement retrieved the firearm that Hall had pointed at the police officer, which had a round in the chamber. Inside Hall’s backpack, officers found several small baggies containing cocaine and other drugs. Later, Hall admitted to officers that the drugs belonged to him and that the gun was not his, but a family member’s. He said he blacked out when he pointed the gun at the officer. Hall told officers that he was on parole and had been out of prison for 16 months.
Hall has three prior drug distribution state convictions, two in Colquitt County, Georgia, and one in Bulloch County, Georgia. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Moultrie Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tamara Jarrett and Monica Daniels prosecuted the case for the Government.
