NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — A 45-year-old Hampton woman will serve a 10-year sentence in prison for conspiracy to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Kimberly Massenburg was one of 39 arrested and charged during “Operation Cookout,” which targeted heroin and fentanyl trafficking.
According to a Department of Justice news release, Massenburg was a go-between for kilogram-weight heroin and cocaine dealers.
She was arrested in October 2018 after being found in possession of a kilogram of cocaine.
She was released on bond, and kept in contact with both dealers to arrange a meeting between the two of them so they could continue to exchange drugs directly with each other.
“Operation Cookout” involved more than 30 law enforcement agencies and included more than 100 indictments.
To illustrate the scale of damage that could be caused by that amount of the heavily potent fentanyl, which has been linked to significant increases in overdose deaths for heroin users, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger said it could kill up to 14 million people.
Those arrested included suppliers, packagers, distributors and dealers, Terwilliger added.
