Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) agents seized approximately 19 pounds of marijuana and $30,000 in cash last week during a search warrant executed at a Montgomery residence, part of an ongoing investigation into contraband allegedly bound for Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore.
The search took place on Friday, August 14, 2026, at a home on Fairhaven Lane in Montgomery. It was carried out by agents with the ADOC Narcotics Unit, the department's K-9 Division, and its Law Enforcement Services Division, with additional support from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's SWAT team.
According to ADOC, the operation grew out of an arrest made several weeks earlier involving contraband investigators believe was intended to reach inmates at Fountain Correctional Facility. Evidence and intelligence gathered during that earlier investigation led agents to the Montgomery address.
Occupant Arrested, Charged with Trafficking
Patrick O'Neal Perry, a former inmate identified as the occupant of the residence, was taken into custody without incident during the search. Perry was charged with trafficking marijuana and was booked into the Montgomery County detention facility.
Part of a Broader Effort to Curb Prison Contraband
Getting drugs, cell phones, and other banned items into Alabama's prisons has long been a challenge for corrections officials, who say contraband smuggling fuels violence and disorder behind bars. ADOC's Narcotics Unit works to trace supply lines back to their source, often relying on outside intelligence, informants, and coordinated raids like the one in Montgomery to intercept contraband before it reaches a facility.
Fountain Correctional Facility, located in Atmore, is one of several state prisons that have faced scrutiny in recent years over contraband issues. Investigations like this one reflect ADOC's continued push to work with outside law enforcement agencies, including ALEA, to disrupt the pipelines that funnel illegal items into correctional facilities.
The investigation remains ongoing.
