Drug trafficking case takes strange turn in bond hearing
PRATTVILLE — Autauga County District Judge Jessica Sanders presided over an unusual bond hearing Tuesday morning where the defendant faced a laundry list of drug charges.
Sanders set bonds totaling $536,500 for Dakota Andrew Hobbs, 19, of Prattville, after Prattville police last week arrested him on charges that included drug trafficking. The total bond included $500,000 on the drug trafficking charge. Police Chief Mark Thompson said Hobbs allegedly sold marijuana and other drugs to juveniles, and that the arrest was the result of a “months long” investigation.
DeAnne "Dee Dee" Calhoon, Hobbs' attorney, was at the bond hearing and declined to comment on his arrest and the charges he faces.
On Monday, Hobbs told officials he had someone to post his bond, but court records show Sanders wanted to review any bond posting due to the amount of the bond. On Monday he told Sanders he did not know the two people going through a local bonding company to post his bond.
She asked the bonding company and the two co-signers to come to court Tuesday. She did not subpoena the bonding company or the co-signers. The Montgomery Advertiser is not using the company or persons’ names because they face no criminal charges.
The owner of the bonding company and one of the co-signers appeared. The co-signer told the judge he was a “good friend” of Hobbs and had asked other friends to contribute money to the bonding effort. He said he lives near Hobbs and would be able to monitor Hobbs.
“My question to you is can you secure his presence in court?” Sanders asked.
“Yes ma’am,” he said.
He told the court “they” had given the bonding company $8,000 and had “worked put a payment plan.” He went on to say he didn’t expect Hobbs to pay him back.
“I’m doing this as a favor, because he’s my friend,” he said.
In a ruling filed Tuesday afternoon, Sanders said the bond amounts stay the same, and if Hobbs were to post bond through the bonding company he would wear an ankle monitor to track his whereabouts.
Hobbs was still in the Autauga Metro Jail at 3 p.m Wednesday, jail records showed.
The Montgomery Advertiser typically does not cover drug offenses under its publication standards adopted in 2021. It's covering Hobbs' case because of the peculiarities of the bond hearing and the variety of charges.
On Jan. 31 members of the Prattville Police Department’s drug enforcement unit along with the special operations team served a search warrant on a residence in the 1100 block of Cooper Avenue. During the search, more than three pounds of marijuana, more than two pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, an amount of methamphetamine, multiple types of prescriptions medication, MDMA Pills, cocaine, THC vape cartridges, THC edibles, synthetic marijuana “Spice”, assorted drug paraphernalia, 2 handguns and an AR-15 style rifle were confiscated, court records show.
Hobbs is charged with trafficking marijuana, seven counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, illegal possession of prescription drugs and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, records show. The estimated street value of the seized narcotics is $25,000, a PPD press release said. Hobbs allegedly sold several different types of illegal narcotics and prescription drugs to customers, including teenagers, Thompson said.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Drug trafficking case takes strange turn in bond hearing
