A conviction for Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 14 grams) coupled with a lengthy criminal history combined to land Alphanso Frederick Hall a Life sentence Thursday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Hall, 40, of Panama City Beach, was found guilty of the trafficking charge and Unlawful Use of a 2-Way Communication Device June 30. That trafficking charge is a First-Degree Felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
But Prosecutor Frank Sullivan successfully argued to have Hall sentenced as a Habitual Felony Offender based on previous convictions of Trafficking in Cocaine (2007 and 2013), Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle (2007 and 2013) and other charges. Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark agreed, which under Florida law upgraded the maximum punishment to a Life felony.
The defendant most recently served a 54-month prison sentence on drug charges. He was released April 1, 2024. The current Trafficking offense occurred Feb. 18, 2025, less than a year later.
“The defendant has shown no interest in following the law while continuing to deliver drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine onto our streets over the last 20 years,” Sullivan said. “His criminal history shows that when he is released from prison he eventually gets caught poisoning our community again.
“There will be no more chances for Mr. Hall.”
In the latest case, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Division had the defendant under surveillance as part of an undercover operation. Sullivan presented witnesses and evidence proving investigators used a confidential informant to set up a controlled drug buy for Feb. 18, 2025.
When investigators arrested the defendant he was in possession of 5 separate baggies of methamphetamine. Each of the baggies held just over 3 grams of meth – often sold as an “8-ball.”
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for its investigation that helped bring the case to a successful conclusion.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.