(WDNews) AlabamaThe first prosecution under Alabama’s new Agent Billy Clardy III Act, which was passed in 2023, has resulted in a Huntsville man receiving a life sentence.
Reginald Eugene Scott, 45, entered a guilty plea to the Class A felony of trafficking in cocaine, according to Attorney General Steve Marshall’s announcement on Monday. Scott was found to have ties to criminal networks across the Southeast and to be a major organizer in a multi-state drug trafficking organization.
Scott’s four previous felony drug offenses earned him a life sentence under Alabama’s Habitual Felony Offender Act. The conviction came after a combined investigation by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Attorney General’s Office, and the STAC Team of the Huntsville Police Department. To dismantle Scott’s enterprise in Madison County, authorities used cutting-edge investigation methods permitted by the Agent Billy Clardy III Act.
Agent Billy Clardy III, who was killed in 2019 while conducting a drug investigation, is honored by the legislation. It gives Alabama law enforcement more resources to go after major drug traffickers.
AG Marshall noted that the drug trafficker’s life sentence today is a worthy homage to Agent Billy Clardy III. Law enforcement’s efforts to eradicate those who would contaminate our communities will always be aided by the legislation bearing his name.
The case is still ongoing, according to the Attorney General’s Office, and further arrests are anticipated. Marshall acknowledged the leadership of Special Agent Todd Mims and Assistant Attorney General Verne H. Speirs, as well as the ongoing assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
