By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – A 45-year-old Alabaster man will spend the next 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to possessing an active pipe bomb and illegal firearms during a Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force search of his property in 2016.

Jason Lanier Hall, who lists an address on Fourth Avenue Northeast in Alabaster, pleaded guilty to felony charges of possession of a destructive device and possession of an illegal firearm during a late February hearing in front of Circuit Court Judge William Bostick.

Charges of first-degree possession of marijuana, receiving stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia against Hall were dismissed through a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Bostick sentenced Hall to a total of 15 years in prison, which was the minimum sentence possible because Hall had three previous felony convictions on his record.

Hall could have faced up to 99 years in prison for the crime. His guilty plea came a little more than a month before his trial was scheduled to begin.

The Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force arrested Hall alongside his son, 24-year-old Demarco Hall, on April 21, 2016, and charged them with multiple felonies.

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.

Also during their search, Task Force Commander Lt. Clay 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.