A Georgia woman who claimed she brought about a kilo of drugs into Bay County “under duress” from a “cartel” was found guilty Thursday of Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 200 grams) and sentenced to 20 years in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Christina Heath, 45, of Conyers, Ga., was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark following the one-day trial. Because the defendant had more than 200 grams of the drug – it was nearly 1,000 grams – she faced a minimum-mandatory 15-year sentence and a maximum of 30.
Prosecutor Frank Sullivan only needed two witnesses, and the physical evidence, to prove his case. Jurors needed less than 30 minutes to reach a verdict.
“This defendant was bringing a significant amount of that poison into our community, and by her own testimony this was not the first time,” Sullivan said. “Her attempt to claim she was acting under duress because she feared some mysterious ‘cartel’ was rightfully rejected by the jury. Now she faces the consequences of her actions.”
According to testimony and the evidence – which included 3 large bags of methamphetamine with a street value of about $50,000 – the defendant was driving on State 79 March 2, 2025, when a Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputy pulled her over for speeding.
BCSO Special Investigations Division Inv. Thomas Laroche testified that K-9 Fila conducted a “free air sniff” of the vehicle and alerted to the presence of drugs. After being advised of her rights, the defendant was asked what would be found in the car. Bodycam showed she told them about a kilo of methamphetamine and where they would find it.
During her testimony, the defendant claimed she initially drove drugs to Bay County to be sold to help pay medical bills. She claimed that when she tried to “quit,” she was threatened by “cartel” members who said they would hurt her daughter if she did not deliver their drugs.
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But as Sullivan pointed out to jurors, other than the defendant’s testimony, there was no evidence anyone threatened the defendant, no evidence of cartel involvement, and no evidence of any motive other than making money.
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and its Special Investigations Division for its proactive work.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.