FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2026
MOBILE, Alabama – District Attorney Keith Blackwood announced today that a Mobile County jury has found Marcus Cobbs, Jr. guilty of Trafficking Marijuana to benefit a Criminal Enterprise, marking the first conviction in the State of Alabama under the Criminal Enterprise statute made effective in 2023.
Following a trial that concluded on February 25, 2026, jurors returned a guilty verdict after hearing evidence that demonstrated that Marcus Cobbs knowingly participated in and furthered an organized criminal enterprise operating within Mobile County. The jury’s verdict sends a clear message that coordinated criminal activity will not be tolerated.
This case was about far more than a marijuana charge. It was not about personal use. It was about building and profiting from an organized criminal business. Evidence at trial showed that the defendant was not simply breaking the law — he was helping operate and sustain a structured criminal enterprise designed to generate profit through illegal activity.
The Criminal Enterprise law was designed to target organized criminal networks by holding leaders and coordinated participants accountable for operating ongoing illegal enterprises. Rather than focusing solely on isolated crimes, the statute allows prosecutors to dismantle structured criminal operations at their core.
“This case represents a turning point in how we combat organized crime in Alabama,” said District Attorney Keith Blackwood. “The Criminal Enterprise statute was created to dismantle criminal networks, not just arrest individuals at the scene. Today’s verdict proves that when criminals organize, we will organize too and we will hold everyone involved in that criminal enterprise accountable.”
Blackwood added that the conviction reflects a broader strategy focused on intelligence-led investigations and strong partnerships with law enforcement agencies, including the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, whose investigative work was instrumental in building this case.
The State of Alabama was represented by Assistant District Attorney Stuart Lang and Trial Coordinator Carla Nealy.
Sentencing for Cobbs is set for April 30, 2026. Cobbs faces 25 years to life under the Criminal Enterprise statute.