BAY COUNTY, Fla. — A Georgia woman who claimed she was forced by a “cartel” to bring nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine into Bay County, Fla. was found guilty of trafficking and sentenced to 20 years in prison, prosecutors said.
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Christina Heath, 45, of Conyers, Georgia, was convicted of Trafficking in Methamphetamine following a one-day trial, according to Florida State Attorney Larry Basford’s Office.
Heath was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Because Heath possessed more than 200 grams of methamphetamine, she faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years, prosecutors said.
The jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes before reaching its verdict.
The case stems from a March 2, 2025, traffic stop in Bay County, Fla.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, a Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped Heath for speeding.
Bay County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Division Investigator Thomas Laroche testified that a K-9 named Fila conducted a “free air sniff” of Heath’s vehicle and alerted to the presence of drugs.
After Heath was advised of her rights, investigators asked what they would find inside the vehicle.
Body camera video showed Heath telling deputies there was about a kilogram of methamphetamine inside the car and where it could be found, prosecutors said.
Investigators ultimately found three large bags of methamphetamine, with a combined street value of about $50,000.
During her testimony, Heath said she initially brought drugs to Bay County to sell them to help pay medical bills.
She testified that when she later tried to stop, members of a “cartel” threatened to harm her daughter if she did not deliver the drugs.
Prosecutor Frank Sullivan argued there was no evidence supporting Heath’s claim that she was being threatened and said there was no apparent motive other than making money.
“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.”
Heath will serve 20 years in prison.
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