Social Media Influencer Held at Livingston County Jail
August 18, 2023
April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com
A social media influencer from California is being held at the Livingston County Jail after a jury found her guilty in what authorities are calling one of the largest fentanyl seizures in United States history.
37-year-old Teeauna White (pictured) is one of 18 people who were charged after federal agents found more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl at a Novi residence in 2017.
At the time it was the largest fentanyl seizure in Michigan and the third largest in the U.S.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent and results in frequent overdoses that can lead to respiratory depression and death.
On August 10, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that White and another person, 43-year-old Robin Herndon, pleaded guilty to joining drug and money laundering conspiracies, among other crimes related to the case.
The seizure of fentanyl in 2017 was tied to ringleader, Maurice McCoy, who the Drug Enforcement Agency had been investigating as having connections to a Mexican cartel.
McCoy was a known drug trafficker who kept distribution hubs in cities across the country, including Novi, and was sentenced to 22 years in prison last March.
White was ordered to go back to her home in Los Angeles until her next scheduled court appearance in December.
However, White is accused of using her time at home to post hateful messages and photos on social media of the witnesses who testified against her in court.
Prosecutors discovered the posts and a federal judge ordered White to be sent to the Livingston County Jail until she and Herndon are sentenced on December 14.
If convicted, White faces over 20 years in prison.
An official press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office regarding the case can be found at the provided link.