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Bristol Woman Sentenced to 60 Months for Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Trafficking

Pamela Michelle Fansler, 52, of Bristol, Virginia, was sentenced on August 21, 2026, to 60 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with intent to distribute.

2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 22, 2026, 9:21 p.m. ET

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 22, 2026, 9:22 p.m. ET
Developing · not yet checked for updates

This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.

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ABINGDON, Va. – Pamela Michelle Fansler, 52, of Bristol, Virginia, was on August 21, 2026, to 60 months in federal prison for conspiring to traffic methamphetamine and for possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with intent to distribute, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia. Fansler pleaded guilty in December 2025 to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine, and to one count of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Court documents state that between July 2025 and August 2025, Fansler and others conspired to distribute methamphetamine, with Fansler traveling to Asheville, North Carolina, to pick up the drug and bring it back to Washington County, Virginia, for redistribution. On August 26, 2025, Fansler possessed approximately four ounces of methamphetamine and half an ounce of fentanyl that she intended to distribute, and she was carrying a .22 caliber pistol that she later admitted she had obtained by trading drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Washington County Sheriff's Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Stone prosecuted the case.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 22, 2026, 9:21 p.m. ETFirst report

    Bristol Woman Sentenced for Distributing Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

    A Bristol, Virginia woman was sentenced on August 21, 2026, to 60 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia.

    Pamela Michelle Fansler, 52, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine, and to one count of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. The sentencing was announced by First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division.

    According to court documents, between July 2025 and August 2025, Fansler and others conspired to distribute methamphetamine. She traveled to Asheville, North Carolina to pick up methamphetamine and brought it back to Washington County, Virginia for redistribution. On August 26, 2025, she possessed approximately four ounces of methamphetamine and half an ounce of fentanyl that she intended to distribute, and was carrying a .22 caliber pistol that she later admitted she had obtained by trading drugs.

    The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Washington County Sheriff's Office, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Stone.

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Revision history

  1. Version 123 Aug 2026, 01:22current

    First published.

  2. Version 123 Aug 2026, 01:21current

    First published.

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