Man sentenced for trafficking cocaine

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - A 35-year-old Smithfield man has been sentenced to spend two decades behind bars following a drug conviction in January.

According to the office of U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride, Christopher Roy Barber pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on Jan. 31. Barber was sentenced to spend 20 years behind bars.

In March 2010, Barber was named as a cocaine supplier when another person was arrested.  Sources in Chicago also identified Barber has a supplier of cocaine in late 2010, MacBride said.

Further investigation led to two sources agreeing to secretly record interactions with Barber. Investigators found 13 phone numbers being used by Barber in the interactions.

Barber was receiving cocaine from a Mexican National identified as Fabian Beltran-Lopez, MacBride said. Both Barber and Beltran-Lopez were arrested in January and Beltran-Lopez will stand trial in October.

A federal search warrant executed in January resulted in the following items seized:

• Cocaine
• Methamphetamine
• Marijuana
• Two firearms
• $132,458 in cash
• Several pieces of expensive jewelry

MacBride added the conspiracy resulted in hundreds of kilos being distributed in the Eastern District of Virginia since 2009.