VIRGINIA BEACH — A local woman convicted of dog fighting has been admitted trafficking drugs from her beach-front home.
Michelle Renee Best, 43, pleaded guilty Tuesday to leading a Virginia Beach heroin and fentanyl ring, which was responsible for at least one fatal overdose — conspiracy and distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury.
Court records say Best, also known as Michelle Smith, dealt cocaine, heroin and the synthetic-opioid fentanyl from her home in the Croatan neighborhood from 2016 until her March arrest.
“Best was dealing death from the comforts of her beach-front neighborhood,” said U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger. “Heroin and fentanyl do not discriminate across economic boundaries, and nor do we. We will remain vigilant in our pursuit of drug dealers who pump poison into our communities, no matter who they are or where they are.”
In December 2017, co-conspirator Christopher Bardall distributed fentanyl to a person who used it and subsequently went into a 17-hour coma and died. Virginia Beach Police arrested Bardall.
Local police and DEA investigators later learned Bardall received his supply of fentanyl from co-conspirator Darin Milligan, who in turn got his fentanyl from his regional supplier, Michelle Best. Best knew the narcotics she was distributing were strong and had resulted in multiple overdoses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
When she learned of the overdose death, she told Milligan to keep the information to himself and that it would be “business as usual.”
According to court documents, police raided her home in March and found drugs, a ledger detailing past purchases and about $42,000 in cash. Best was charged in 2005 but never convicted in connection with the death of her husband, 27-year-old Alexander M. Smith. He disappeared in 2000.
Best is set to be sentenced in March. She faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Bardall pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy and will be sentenced in March. Milligan also pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy and will be sentenced in January.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
