A Kona woman faces life behind bars in a federal prison after pleading guilty to drug charges stemming from a 2022 bust that turned up over a pound of meth and thousands of fentanyl pills.
Jennifer M. Conway, also known as Amanda Gene Vason, is set to be sentenced May 10 by U.S. District Court Judge Derrick K. Watson in Honolulu.
The 45-year-old pleaded guilty Jan. 19 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl 500 grams or more; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine 500 grams or more; and two counts possession with intent to distribute fentanyl 400 grams or more. A single count of possession with intent to distribute heroin was dismissed.
Because Conway has two prior felony drug convictions out of Washington, she faces life imprisonment, which means serving not less than 25 years, for each of the counts to which she pleaded guilty.
Conway, who is being held without bail, remains in custody at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu.
She has been in police custody since her arrest April 21, 2022, at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole after arriving on a direct flight from Seattle.
There, awaiting law enforcement served a search warrant and reportedly recovered 1.7 pounds (502 grams) of methamphetamine, 2,700 fentanyl pills with a combined weight of 287.5 grams, and 1.8 ounces (52 grams) of heroin.
Hawaii County prosecutors initially filed the case at the state level, however, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Honolulu opted to pick up the case, which came as the result of a month-long collaborative drug trafficking investigation spanning Hawaii Island and Washington.
The recovered drugs have an estimated street value of $300,000, according to the Hawaii Police Department.