By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – A 25-year-old Calera man was sentenced to four years in federal prison on an illegal firearms possession charge, and his drug charges in Shelby County Circuit Court have been dismissed, according to court documents.

U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Haikala sentenced Demarco Lanier Hall, who lists an address on Ninth Avenue in Calera, to 48 months in prison in mid-October after Hall pleaded guilty to the federal firearms charge.

The Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force arrested Demarco Hall alongside his father, 44-year-old Jason Hall, on April 21, 2016, and charged them with multiple felonies.

Jason Hall is facing felony counts of possession of a destructive device, first-degree receiving stolen property, possession of an illegal firearm, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, first-degree unlawful possession of marijuana and a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Demarco Hall was charged by the Task Force with first-degree possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia charges, but the charges were dismissed in Shelby County Circuit Court on Nov. 8.

Task Force members responded to Jason Hall’s house the night of April 21, 2016, after they received an anonymous tip, and made contact with the Halls. After realizing Demarco Hall was on probation for a previous felony domestic violence charge, Task Force members requested help from Office of Probation and Parole officers, and began a search of the suspect’s property.

During their search, officers allegedly discovered seven firearms Jason Hall was not allowed to have because of his criminal history, marijuana, heroin, prescription medication and cocaine. Officers also allegedly discovered materials linking the suspects with the “Gangster Disciples” street gang.

Of the seven firearms allegedly found in Jason Hall’s possession, four were stolen from Calera, Montevallo, Tuscaloosa and Madison County. The firearms charges were turned over to the Birmingham office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, according to Drug Task Force Commander Lt. Clay Hammac. Demarco Hall was found to be in possession of a Glock .40-caliber pistol and a Ted Williams 12-gauge shotgun, according to federal court documents.

Also during their search, Hammac said officers discovered an active pipe bomb in a vehicle on the property, prompting the Task Force, the Alabaster Police Department and the Alabaster Fire Department to evacuate a 300-yard radius around the house while the Hoover Police Department’s bomb squad responded to the scene.

Hammac said the bomb squad safely detonated the bomb at the scene before allowing nearby residents to return to their homes.

The charges against Jason Hall are still pending, and he is set to appear in Shelby County Circuit Court on Dec. 5 at 8:30 a.m.