Former ‘American Idol’ Contestant Antonella Barba Is Facing Federal Drug Charges
On October 11, 2018, Antonella Barba, who was a previous contestant on American Idol, was arrested in Norfolk, Virginia. Police found that she had over 100 grams of heroin with her and charged her with one count of possession with the intent to distribute the drug. At the time of her arrest, she was employed as a carrier for a large drug ring, and she was also in the process of delivering an estimated two pounds worth of fentanyl.
Barba’s current problems seem to be a far cry from her previous life on television. In 2007, she finished just below the final 12 contestants on American Idol. After that, she drew some criticism later in 2007 for wearing a wet T-shirt as she was photographed by Washington, D.C.’s World War II Memorial. Barba also appeared on television’s Fear Factor and one film in 2017, All About the Money.
After her October, 2018, arrest, Barba made bail and was out on bond while she waited for her impending day at court. However, she was taken back to jail on Monday, February 11, after a federal indictment for her was issued. That indictment adds more potential charges to her list, including conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl, according to the Virginian-Pilot.
Antonella Barba federally indicted in heroin dealing charges. The fall of a former American Idol contestant finalist. https://t.co/iAKyEgbuhZ
— Scallywagandvagabond (@ScallywagNYC) February 12, 2019
However, that’s not a complete list of the looming charges hanging over Barba’s head. She also has a pending case in Kansas, where she is charged with a felony for marijuana. It appears that the former American Idol contestant was an important member of a drug ring operating around Hampton Roads during 2017 and 2018.
The federal indictment that sent Barba back to jail this month is not completely forthcoming about all charges, or everybody that is accused of being involved in the drug ring. However, other people tied to the indictment include Rawl Christopher Stennett and Justin Michael Isaac. Stennett apparently has three different dates of birth and social security numbers listed in the indictment, according to Page Six.
According to the court documents, an anonymous party utilized a Granby Street apartment during the month of September of 2017. That apartment is where many of the drugs were kept, including heroin, cocaine, and some of the drug money. The apartment was also used to make small drug sales throughout the local area.
The federal indictment outlines Isaac as the provider of both heroin and cocaine, who provided a large quantity of each of the drugs to unnamed distributors to sell on the streets.
