A Birmingham man has been convicted on a federal drug charge after he and another man were caught with more than 2,000 fentanyl pills on Interstate 20.

Demarcus Hill, 42, was convicted on conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl, according to a joint announcement Monday by Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and DEA Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer.

Hill ran an unsuccessful campaign for Hoover City Council in 2012.

A jury returned the guilty verdict after one day of testimony before U.S. District Judge Corey Maze.

Hill’s co-defendant, JT Toombs, previously pleaded guilty.

“Removing fentanyl pills from our communities is not just a priority, it’s a duty to protect lives,” Escalona said.

The investigation began on Aug. 12, 2021. It was about 6:15 p.m. when DEA Task Force Officer Josh Powers was working I-20 and saw a white Hyundai Sonata abruptly change lanes for no apparent reason, according to court records. The location was in the Oxford area and the vehicle was heading toward Birmingham.

Powers ran the Sonata’s tag through the license plate reader mounted in his vehicle and learned that the vehicle had crossed the Alabama/Georgia line heading toward Atlanta at 1:30 p.m. the same day.

Powers pulled on to I-20 and caught up with the Sonata about 20 miles down the interstate. Records state Powers saw the Sonata cross over the fog line multiple times, so he conducted a traffic stop.

Hill was in the driver’s seat, and Toombs was in the back seat.

“Hill appeared nervous and said he and Toombs had traveled to Atlanta to meet with ‘associates’ about the Magic City Classic,’’ federal documents show.

Toombs, the owner of the vehicle, denied consent to search.

A drug-sniffing dog was brought to the scene and alerted on the presence of drugs.

Authorities found 2,015 fentanyl pills stuffed in the bottom of a Krystal bag, underneath trash. Toombs, documents show, had $4,612 in his pocket.

Hill denied knowing anything about the drugs. Toombs told police if anything was found in the vehicle, it belonged to Hill.

In his campaign announcement in 2012, Hill said from 2001-2006, he says he worked as an administrative assis­tant for the Birmingham City Coun­cil, where he interacted with the school system, planning and zon­ing, business economic develop­ment, and the city’s mayor’s office, according to a news release an­nouncing his candidacy.

His background also includes work with the United Way, where he says he mentored 25 to 300 young adults, and with Birming­ham police chief A.C. Roper on a community Bible study at the Bluff Park Community Center, according to the release.

An eviction complaint was also filed against him the same year that he ran for the city council seat.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl is 40 years in prison. Hill’s sentencing is set for May 5.

The DEA investigated the case along with the Oxford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Blake Milner and Brittany Byrd are prosecuting the case.

“Evidence presented at trial showed the defendant traveled across state lines to obtain a dangerous amount of fentanyl pills with the intent of distributing them in Alabama,’’ Hoffer said. “This reckless disregard for public safety put countless lives at risk.”