A jury in Covington County found Oddesius “Nuke” Bryant, a 34-year-old resident of Andalusia, guilty this week on charges of trafficking methamphetamine, second-degree possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Meet Oddesius “Nuke” Bryant.
After listening to the evidence for two days, the jury, consisting of 10 men and two women, reached a verdict in less than 40 minutes and found Bryant guilty.
The State’s case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Nikki Stephens.
According to Stephens, Oddesius Bryant has dedicated a significant portion of his adult life to the illegal drug trade. The consequences of his actions have undoubtedly impacted numerous individuals. Stephens expresses gratitude towards the jury for attentively considering the evidence and delivering verdicts that hold Bryant responsible for his actions.
Bryant faced charges following an investigation by the Drug Task Force into illegal narcotics activity at 605 Eighth Avenue in Andalusia. The investigation began in July 2020 and involved surveillance of the property and interactions with visitors. As a result, agents obtained a search warrant for the property. On August 13, 2020, the search warrant was executed by the Covington County Incident Response Team and Drug Task Force at around 5:30 a.m. During the search, Oddesius Bryant was discovered in the driver’s seat of a Ford F-150 parked in the driveway. Notably, agents found a wallet-sized photo of Bryant and a child placed inside the gauge cluster of the truck. Additionally, they discovered trafficking weight methamphetamine, three bags of marijuana, three sets of digital scales, multiple plastic bags used for packaging, and two loaded firearms—a 9mm pistol and a .380 pistol—inside the truck with Bryant.
“Our local police and investigators tirelessly work to ensure our safety and, most of the time, we are unaware of their efforts,” expressed District Attorney Walt Merrell. He further added, “These individuals conducted extensive surveillance for several weeks. They actively engaged with individuals leaving that specific house, conducted thorough interviews, executed multiple search warrants, and ultimately built a strong case to apprehend another drug dealer. I am grateful for their unwavering commitment to serving our community, and I am also appreciative of the attentive jury who witnessed the same dedication and determination that I observed throughout the trial.”
Circuit Judge Lex Short presided over the case and scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 30, 2024, at 9 a.m. Bryant, who has five prior felony convictions, will be sentenced under the Habitual Felony Offender Act. Due to the trafficking conviction, which is a Class A felony, he faces a minimum sentence of life in prison. It is worth noting that Bryant is already serving a 30-year sentence for other drug charges he pleaded guilty to in a separate case that followed this one.
Stephens expressed gratitude to Narcotics Investigator Cody Holmes from the Covington County Sheriff’s Office and Narcotics Investigator Tyler Patterson from the Andalusia Police Department for their diligent efforts in handling the case. Additionally, Stephens extended appreciation to Chief Investigator Nickey Carnley from the District Attorney’s Office for providing valuable assistance during the prosecution.
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