Two former Instagram models charged with transporting cocaine from Houston to Atlanta are pleading guilty to federal trafficking charges.
Melissa Dufour (left) and Racquelle Dolores Anteola (right) were pulled over by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office on Interstate 10 in Mobile County, Alabama, in June, according to a local news outlet.
Since the route is notorious for drug trafficking, their Ford Expedition was searched and authorities found over 200 pounds of powder cocaine hidden in secret compartments in the floor and side panels. The cocaine had a street value of $2.1 million, according to prosecutors.
“The SUV they were traveling in had a back seat and was modified with a steel aftermarket compartment,” Lagniappe reports. “The SUV’s floor had also been lowered and welded back together to provide more storage room. The second compartment was located in the back of the SUV, where the side panels were hollowed out.”
Dufour, 36, of Miramar, Florida, and Anteola, 34, of Van Nuys, California, were arrested on federal charges, according to prosecutors.
The women had been trafficking drugs since at least November 2022, according to the indictment.
On Tuesday, attorneys for both women told a judge they plan to plead guilty to the charges next week.
Anteola, an aspiring singer who used the stage name Rahky, and Dufour, founder of a clothing brand called Sexy Sweats, face 10 years to life in a Club Fed-style prison.
“If convicted, Anteola and Dufour face potential penalties of 10 years to life in prison and as much as $10 million in fines,” Lagniappe reports.
