HUNTSVILLE – A Huntsville man received a life sentence in the first conviction of a law named for a slain Huntsville police officer, Attorney General Steve Marshall announced today.
Reginald Eugene Scott, 45, was convicted of trafficking in cocaine, Marshall said.
Based upon the evidence, Scott was a leader and organizer of a wide-ranging drug trafficking organization with ties to criminal elements throughout the southeast, according to Marshall. And, over the course of the investigation, law enforcement recovered numerous firearms related to drug trafficking.
Scott pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in cocaine, a Class A felony, and received a life sentence under Alabama’s Habitual Felony Offender Act – having been convicted of four prior felony drug offenses.
To secure the life sentence, the attorney general’s office, in conjunction with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Huntsville Police Department’s STAC Team employed the “Agent Billy Clardy III Act” to use enhanced investigative techniques to uncover Scott’s drug trafficking organization operating in Madison County.
State Rep. Rex Reynolds introduced the legislation and, he said in February the law has been an effective tool for law enforcement agencies.
“Granting law enforcement access to electronic wiretapping is a highly effective way to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking operations in Alabama,” said Reynolds (R-Huntsville), a former Huntsville police chief. “It’s crucial that we provide our law enforcement agencies with every tool possible to fight the influx of narcotics into our state.”
In 2019, Agent Billy Clardy III was killed in the line of duty while investigating a large-scale drug trafficking operation.
As a result of his death, the Alabama Legislature passed the “Agent Billy Clardy III Act” in 2023. The act authorizes Alabama law enforcement to use sophisticated investigative techniques to uncover drug trafficking organizations.
“Today’s life sentence for a drug trafficker is a fitting tribute to Agent Billy Clardy III,” Marshall said. “Agent Clardy dedicated his life to combating the scourge of drugs in our community. The legislation honoring his name will forever assist law enforcement in rooting out those who would poison our communities while adding safety and security to our officers.
“Agent Clardy’s death was not in vain.”
The attorney general said the case is ongoing, and he expects more convictions to come.
Marshall commended the Special Prosecutions Division of the Attorney General’s office for prosecuting the case, specifically recognizing Assistant Attorney General Verne H. Speirs and Special Agent Todd Mims for their work related to setting up and employing the Agent Billy Clardy III Act across the State.
He also thanked the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Huntsville Police Department’s STAC Team and the Madison County District Attorney’s Office for their diligent efforts to bring this case to justice.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our email newsletter to have all our smart stories delivered to your inbox.
