Abbeville Man Who Fled to Mexico Convicted on Federal Drug and Gun Charges

Today, United States Attorney Thomas Govan announced the conviction of an Abbeville, Alabama, man on federal methamphetamine and firearms charges.

On June 2, 2026, a federal jury convicted 42-year-old Cassime Dion Lingo of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and receipt of a firearm while under indictment for a 2017 felony drug offense in Houston County, Alabama.

"The defendant's decision to flee to Mexico delayed justice, but it did not prevent it," said U.S. Attorney Govan. "I commend the United States Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners for their diligence in locating the defendant, securing his return to the United States, and ensuring that he was held accountable for his crimes."

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Lingo's residence in April 2021. During the search, officers recovered more than 100 grams of methamphetamine, two firearms, and additional controlled substances, including cocaine, MDMA tablets, and marijuana.

Following his arrest on state charges, Lingo was released on bond and fled to Mexico. After a federal indictment was returned, the United States Marshals Service (USMS) worked with law enforcement partners to locate Lingo in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2022. In 2025, Mexican authorities deported Lingo to the United States, where he was taken into USMS custody.

Following a two-day trial in Dothan, Alabama, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all three counts charged in the indictment. Lingo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, consisting of a 10-year mandatory minimum term for the methamphetamine offense and a consecutive 5-year mandatory minimum term for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine Lingo's sentence after considering the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Alabama Drug Task Force, the Henry County Sheriff's Office, the Eufaula Police Department, and the Abbeville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Levi and John J. Geer III are prosecuting the case.