An east Alabama man described as the leader of a methamphetamine trafficking operation has been sentenced to more than 30 years in federal prison.

U.S. District Court Judge David Proctor sentenced Antonio Franchester Orr, aka Lil T, to 372 months, or 31 years, according to a joint announcement by Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona, DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley and ATF Special Agent in Charge Marcus Wason.

The 47-year-old Orr, of Eastaboga, pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine and attempt to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, along with fifty-five counts of use of a telephone to commit a drug trafficking crime.

According to the plea agreement, Orr coordinated with a Mexican source of supply, using a broker out of an Alabama state prison, to obtain methamphetamine and other controlled substances and distribute them in the Calhoun County area.

Orr, documents state, was responsible for possessing or attempting to possess over 30 kilograms of methamphetamine, and overseeing the distribution of various other substances, including cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.

Over the course of the investigation, agents seized more than 20 kilos of methamphetamine, 1 kilo of cocaine, multiple firearms, and bulk currency from members from Orr and other members of his drug trafficking organization.

“Armed drug traffickers will go to extreme lengths to profit from deadly drugs with no regard to the pain and devastation they cause our communities, and we will not tolerate it,” Escalona said.

A total of 11 defendants have pleaded guilty to charges in the indictment returned in July 2022.

The indictment was a result of a year-long Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation into the drug-trafficking enterprise based in Calhoun County.

The task force identified acts in furtherance of the conspiracy committed by members of the organization over a period of six months. Six of the defendants have now been sentenced, and five remaining defendants await sentencing.

“We are committed to investigating drug trafficking organizations that profit from the distribution of methamphetamine and other illegal and dangerous narcotics,’’ said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Thorne-James. “The sentence imposed should be a warning to those thinking of polluting our communities with these addictive substances.”

The DEA and the ATF investigated the case, along with assistance from the Anniston Police Department, Oxford Police Department, 7th Judicial Circuit Major Crimes Unit, Calhoun County District Attorney’s Office, Talladega County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, Pell City Police Department, West Alabama Narcotics Task Force, Blount County Sheriff’s Department, and the Alabama National Guard Joint Counter Drug Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Garnett and Blake Milner are prosecuting.

“The ATF worked collaboratively and tirelessly with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to arrest and charge the members of this criminal organization,” Watson said. “We will continue to use all of our resources to disrupt the illegal possession of firearms, distribution of narcotics, and other acts of violence within the communities that we serve.”