BY KEITH EPPS

A Fredericksburg man was sentenced to 23 years in prison Friday for his role in a major Texas-to-Richmond drug operation involving large amounts of heroin and cocaine.

Wilfred Houston Blair, 37, whose last-known address was in the Idlewild subdivision, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Richmond. He had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and heroin.

According to court records, the Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies began investigating Blair and his accomplices last year after receiving information from informants, some who had already been arrested. The investigation revealed that Blair and three other people, including two brothers from Galveston, Texas, were the primary players in the operation.

During the investigation, court records show, authorities seized more than 4 kilograms of cocaine, 3.5 kilograms of heroin, more than 4.5 pounds of marijuana and more than $222,000 in cash.

Firearms, multiple vehicles and jewelry purchased with drug proceeds were also confiscated. The investigation also included several controlled buys.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, most of the group's Virginia dealings took place in the Richmond area, where Blair lived until the past year or so.

The drugs were seized in December in Texas, where Blair had gone to pick up a supply, and in Richmond in March, when drugs from Texas were brought to Virginia, court records show.

The money was seized in two different traffic stops in Mississippi, one in November and the other in February.

Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
Email: kepps@freelancestar.com