A singer from Van Nuys and her fitness influencer friend could be sentenced to life in federal prison as they are reportedly going to plead guilty to charges that they trafficked more than 200 pounds of cocaine through Alabama.
Racquelle Dolores Anteola, 34, of Van Nuys and Melissa Dufour, 36, of Miramar, Florida, were arrested in June while driving on Interstate 10 in Mobile County, Alabama, according to local newspaper Lagniappe.
Anteola, who uses the stage name Rahky, and Dufour, founder of a clothing brand called Sexy Sweats, were driving a Ford Expedition with Texas dealer plates from Houston to Atlanta when they were pulled over by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.
“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.”
Those hidden compartments were full of more than 200 pounds of cocaine, resulting in federal charges, according to prosecutors.
On Tuesday, attorneys for the women told a judge they plan to plead guilty to the charges next week.
“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.
The women had been trafficking drugs since at least November 2022, according to the indictment.