FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — A Chicago woman has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for her role in a drug trafficking organization based in Fayette County.
Krystal Tankson, 41, was sentenced in Fayette County Circuit Court Thursday after she was convicted for a felony offense of conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver between five and 50 grams of methamphetamine.
Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney Anthony Ciliberti announced in a release that Tankson will serve 40 years in prison for the conspiracy conviction. Tankson will serve 10 years in prison before she’s eligible for parole.
Tankson was convicted for playing a part in a drug trafficking organization that authorities said was led by Heather Hewitt. According to an investigation from the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, Tankson would pick up money from Hewitt in West Virginia that she brought back to Chicago for the purchase of drugs.
The investigation found the drugs obtained by Tankson in Chicago were shipped back to Hewitt in Fayette County through the U.S. Postal Service and FedEx.
The Task Force determined the drug trafficking operation included substances such as methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine through purchases made through a confidential informant. A search of Hewitt’s residence found documentation of 14 pounds of controlled substances being distributed through the network.
Ciliberti’s release said that Tankson is the final member of the Hewitt drug trafficking organization to be prosecuted. The release also stated that Tankson’s sentence was doubled because she had a previous federal drug-related felony conviction.
Tankson was sentenced by Fayette County Circuit Judge Thomas Fast.