The Selma Times-Journal

A former member of the St. Phillips Boys will spend 60 months in a federal prison.

Derrick Andre Daniels was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Mobile late last week. In addition to the 60 months of prison time, he’ll also spent five years in post-release supervision and pay a $100 assessment fee.

Daniels pleaded guilty in September 2006 to conspiring with the 12 other members of the gang, including Christopher Ford and Darrell Thompson, to sell in excess of 50 grams of crack cocaine.

Daniels and other members of the St. Phillips boys were indicted in July 2006 on federal drug charges of selling crack cocaine or marijuana.

The arrests resulted after months of investigation by Selma police officers and agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

An affidavit by one agent, Ronald Peterson, filed in July 2005, said he personally witnessed several sales of crack cocaine to individuals by several members of the gang. Peterson alleged the gang operated out of six houses on St. Phillips Street between LL Anderson and Minter streets in Selma.

In his affidavit, Peterson said cars would come by, stop in front of one of the houses in the 1400 block of St. Phillips Street, someone would come out of a house and the exchange would be made.

Peterson and Selma police worked at least four confidential informants while watching the alleged sales occur.

After the cars stopped, Selma police would pull over the suspected buyer and confiscate any drugs, then question the individual. The indictment under which Daniels and others pleaded guilty said the gang had been in operation since 1999.

No date was in the court record for Daniels to report to federal marshals.