Fairbanks Woman Gets 70 Months for Heroin & Meth Deal

FAIRBANKS, AK – Maria Laren Henry, 31, of Fairbanks, Alaska, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced Friday to 70 months for trafficking heroin and methamphetamine in the Interior. The sentence, handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline, also includes five years of supervised release following her incarceration.

The case began unraveling on July 12, 2016, after Henry crashed a vehicle on Chena Pump Road. Witnesses reported she was speeding, crossed the centerline, narrowly missing three vehicles, and then plowed into mailboxes after veering onto a bike path. Paramedics rushed her to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, where they discovered 27.5 grams of heroin and 21.5 grams of pure methamphetamine hidden on her person – the heroin clutched in her hand, the meth discovered during surgical preparation.

A subsequent search of Henry’s impounded vehicle, conducted by the Alaska State Troopers Fairbanks Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit (AST SDEU), yielded even more damning evidence. Investigators found a loaded .9mm handgun in her jacket pocket, 100 clear plastic baggies consistent with those used to package the methamphetamine seized from her body, and a cell phone brimming with incriminating text messages. Prescription pills belonging to another individual, and further evidence of drug use, were also recovered.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Hattan, who prosecuted the case, laid out a grim picture of Henry’s criminal history before Judge Beistline. The judge acknowledged this history, specifically citing a prior drug offense where Henry attempted to strike a law enforcement officer with her vehicle, and multiple burglary charges from 2016 in the Fairbanks and North Pole areas.

This wasn’t a simple possession case; it was a calculated operation. The quantity of drugs, the weapon, the packaging materials, and the digital evidence all pointed to Henry actively dealing poison in the Fairbanks community. The bust highlights the continued flow of narcotics into Alaska’s Interior, and the dangers posed by those who profit from addiction.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder commended the joint efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Alaska State Troopers Fairbanks Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit for their thorough investigation. This case serves as a stark reminder that federal authorities are actively working to dismantle drug trafficking networks and hold offenders accountable, even in remote corners of the state.