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Hampton Woman Convicted of Heroin Trafficking
A federal jury has convicted a 45-year-old woman from Hampton, Virginia, on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Contessa Williams faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison when sentenced on December 9.
According to court records, between January 2014 and May 2017, Williams conspired with others to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, over 1,000 grams of heroin. Her then-boyfriend, Tracy Hall, 46, of Norfolk, previously pleaded guilty to being the leader in the drug conspiracy and has been attributed with distributing at least 50 kilograms of heroin for a total claimed profit of $1.5 million.
Williams’ primary role in the conspiracy was to assist Hall in retrieving, laundering, and spending drug proceeds. She deposited drug proceeds in her personal bank accounts and used drug money to start a liquor store in Georgia. After Hall was arrested on state drug charges in early 2016, Williams collected drug proceeds at his direction and otherwise relayed his directives to other co-conspirators responsible for selling drugs on the Peninsula.
The prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric M. Hurt and D. Mack Coleman are prosecuting the case. The jury’s verdict holds Williams accountable for participating in a multi-year conspiracy to distribute large quantities of dangerous opioids and laundering the proceeds of this serious crime, said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
This case highlights the importance of law enforcement agencies working together to combat organized crime. The investigation and prosecution of this case were a collaborative effort between the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Hampton Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Williams’ sentencing is scheduled for December 9. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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