An Alabama Department of Corrections investigation into contraband allegedly headed to a south Alabama prison resulted Friday in an arrest and a significant seizure in Montgomery, authorities said.
Search executed in Fairhaven Lane neighborhood
Agents with multiple ADOC units, assisted by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency SWAT Team, executed a search warrant at a home in the 8300 block of Fairhaven Lane early Friday, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.
The search was part of an investigation that began with an arrest several weeks earlier involving contraband believed to be intended for Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore. ADOC said follow-up “intelligence and evidence” led investigators to the Montgomery residence.
“Intelligence and evidence led agents to the Montgomery home.”
Seizures and charges
Authorities reported the seizure of contraband and cash at the Fairhaven Lane address. Officials said the items recovered included:
- Approximately 19 pounds of marijuana
- $30,000 in cash
Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles records show the person taken into custody, identified by ADOC as Patrick O’Neal Perry, was granted parole in 2023. Perry was described by ADOC as the occupant of the home and was taken into custody without incident. He is charged with trafficking marijuana and is being held in the Montgomery County Detention Facility.
| Item | Reported amount |
|---|---|
| Marijuana | ~19 pounds |
| Cash | $30,000 |
Agencies involved
ADOC said the operation included several of its internal units and external assistance. The listed participants were:
- ADOC Narcotics Unit
- ADOC K-9 Division
- ADOC Law Enforcement Services Division
- Alabama Law Enforcement Agency SWAT Team
Officials described the action as part of an ongoing investigation that links the Montgomery arrest to contraband activity affecting a prison in south Alabama. The department said the probe began after a separate arrest several weeks earlier and that follow-up work by investigators produced the evidence used to obtain the Montgomery search warrant.
Local implications
The incident highlights continuing efforts by state corrections investigators to disrupt networks that move contraband into correctional facilities, a longstanding concern for prison administrators and law enforcement. Seizures of drugs and cash are commonly cited by authorities as indicators of attempts to introduce illegal items into secure facilities, which can endanger staff and incarcerated people and complicate rehabilitation and security operations.
For Montgomery neighborhoods, the seizure and arrest in the Fairhaven Lane block underscore both the reach of multiagency investigations and the potential for contraband-related activity to extend beyond prison grounds into the community. The ADOC statement did not identify any additional arrests tied to the Montgomery search beyond the detention of Perry.
Perry's arrest and trafficking charge are part of an active investigation, and ADOC officials did not release further details Friday about additional evidence or potential co-conspirators. Court records and detention logs list Perry as being held in the Montgomery County Detention Facility; no bond or arraignment details were included in ADOC’s release.
Authorities with ADOC and partner agencies typically continue investigative work after such seizures to determine distribution networks, sources of contraband and whether additional charges or arrests are warranted. Montgomery residents seeking more information may expect updates from ADOC or local law enforcement as the investigation proceeds.
