Two women sentenced to federal prison after playing key roles in Virginia based drug trafficking operation
Newport News, Virginia – In a major sentencing related to a wide-ranging drug trafficking operation in Hampton Roads, two women have been sent to federal prison for their roles in distributing narcotics and transporting drug money across state lines.
Federal investigators began their probe in June 2021 after uncovering a large-scale drug distribution network operating out of Lux Auto, a used car dealership in Newport News, Virginia. According to court records and trial evidence, the car lot served as a front for illegal activity, with narcotics stashed in vehicles parked on the premises. The investigation ultimately led to the indictment of 37 individuals in a sweeping 127-count superseding indictment issued on September 11, 2023.
One of the individuals sentenced was 24-year-old Amanda Bell, who was found to be both a distributor and courier for the organization. Prosecutors said Bell regularly sold fentanyl and marijuana and conducted multiple controlled sales observed by law enforcement. During these transactions, Bell sold more than 40 grams of fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid often linked to fatal overdoses.
Bell also transported large sums of cash tied to the group’s marijuana trafficking efforts. On March 3, 2022, she was caught en route to California carrying over $35,000 in a suitcase, which was meant to fund further drug purchases. Bell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl on April 26 and was sentenced on November 25 to five years and ten months in federal prison.
Another defendant, 26-year-old Farrah Fair, also known by the alias 10K Fay, played a key role in the organization’s interstate logistics. According to authorities, Fair used commercial flights to move marijuana between California and Virginia, concealing the drugs in checked suitcases. She pleaded guilty on January 14 to use of a communication facility in furtherance of drug trafficking and received a two-year and six-month prison sentence on November 25.
The sentencing of Bell and Fair is part of a larger federal effort to dismantle the Lux Auto-based drug ring, which spanned multiple states and involved the trafficking of dangerous narcotics such as fentanyl. The case underscores the increasing complexity and mobility of modern drug networks, with couriers playing essential roles in the flow of both narcotics and cash.
As the broader investigation continues, law enforcement agencies are working to hold every participant in the operation accountable, signaling a strong stance against organized drug trafficking in the region.
