Newport News Woman Sentenced for Heroin Distribution

NEWPORT NEWS, VA—Jennifer Truslow, 26, of Newport News, Va., was sentenced today to 120 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for distribution of heroin resulting in the death of her husband, Jessie Truslow, Jr., in September 2008.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Alex J. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Division; and James D. Fox, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement. Truslow pled guilty on April 26, 2011.

“While her husband was in the Newport News City Farm, Jennifer Truslow smuggled him the heroin that led to his fatal overdose,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Our thoughts and condolences are continually with Jessie Truslow’s family and his three young children. This case is a tragic reminder that if you traffic these deadly drugs, you’re putting others’ lives in danger. As a result of the investigation into Jessie Truslow’s death, our law enforcement partners have taken dozens of heroin traffickers off the streets of Tidewater.”

According to court documents, Jessie Truslow, Jr. was convicted in 2007 for receiving stolen property and was serving his sentence at the Newport News City Farm. On September 27, 2008, Jennifer Truslow received eight bags of heroin from a co-defendant, Dennis Bunch, which she smuggled into the Newport News City Farm the same day. On September 28, 2008, Jessie Truslow, was found unresponsive and died the next day from his use of the drugs. This incident launched an investigation into heroin distribution in several areas of Newport News and the Virginia Peninsula. At least 33 federal defendants have been indicted, convicted and sentenced, and more than 100 related state defendants have been convicted and sentenced in relation to this investigation. Bunch pled guilty on May 17, 2011 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life when he is sentenced on Sept. 12, 2011.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Newport News Police Department and other law enforcement agencies participating in an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). Assistant United States Attorney Laura P. Tayman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.