drugs | ALXnow

Alexandria babysitter faces felony charges after 6-month-old overdoses

Published October 1, 2026 at 1:45PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

An Alexandria woman faces child abuse and drug possession charges after a 6-month-old male infant she was babysitting suffered an overdose, according to the Alexandria Police Department.

The child’s mother told police that she’s a single mother living in Maryland, and regularly dropped off her child with her cousin in Alexandria before going to work in D.C. Around 7:45 a.m. on Friday, March 6, she said she dropped the child off at her cousin’s condominium in the 200 block of Ellsworth Street in the Taylor Run neighborhood.

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Fired Alexandria sheriff’s deputy allegedly agreed to smuggle drugs to inmate for $500

By James Cullum

Published July 13, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated July 13, 2026 at 4:22PM

The William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center (via City of Alexandria)

More details have been released about a fired Alexandria sheriff’s deputy going to court next month after allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs to an inmate in the city jail.

During the first week in April, an inmate at the detention center informed the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office that at least one sworn officer had given an inmate food items and narcotics. A widespread investigation found then-Deputy Sheriff Amarachukwu W. Igwe had an “overly familiar relationship with a male inmate,” according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

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Undercover police arrest Woodbridge teen for drug and firearm possession in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published December 30, 2025 at 9:30AM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

The Alexandria Police Department arrested a Woodbridge teenager in Landmark this month after he was allegedly found in possession of fentanyl, more than seven ounces of marijuana, a loaded handgun and nearly $1,500 in cash.

The 17-year-old suspect agreed to meet an undercover APD officer on Dec. 11 to sell five fentanyl pills in a parking lot at the 5700 block of Edsall Road, after he had advertised selling drugs on Instagram. His arrest followed an undercover operation that began in October, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

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Alexandria hosting Recovery Month Celebration on Sept. 17

By James Cullum

Published September 8, 2025 at 1:45PM

Ben Brenman Park (via City of Alexandria)

Alexandria is hosting its Recovery Month Celebration on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at Ben Brenman Park (4800 Brenman Park Drive).

The free event from the city’s Department of Community and Human Services will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. and includes live music, food trucks, and local resources to help with the recovery from opioid addiction. More from the city is below.

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Alexandria man sentenced to 12 years in drug conspiracy case

By James Cullum

Published August 11, 2025 at 2:30PM

The Alexandria courthouse in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

An Alexandria man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for a “high-level drugs conspiracy that shipped significant amounts of narcotics” into Virginia, according to Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter.

Adrian Bryce Roberts, 41, was sentenced to 12 years of active incarceration on July 28 after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, and transporting more than an ounce of narcotics into the state, according to Porter’s office.

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UPDATE: Alexandria-area man arrested after allegedly receiving multiple packages with drugs

By James Cullum

Published July 21, 2025 at 5:30PM | Updated July 22, 2025 at 5:08PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the suspect was an employee of the UPS store. The suspect was reported to police by a UPS employee and does not work at the facility. We apologize for the error.

A 33-year-old man, formerly a resident of Alexandria, is being held without bond for multiple narcotics possession charges. The man was allegedly getting his drugs mailed to a local UPS Store.

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Alexandria fentanyl dealer sentenced to 10 years for sale of laced pills

By Jared Serre

Published October 23, 2024 at 1:30PM

Outside the Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

An Alexandria man will spend the next decade in federal prison for the sale of more than 4,000 fentanyl-laced pills.

Alhagi Gassim Conteh, 30, was sentenced yesterday (Tuesday) to 10 years behind bars in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia — the mandatory minimum sentence for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, according to federal law.

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Alexandria middle schoolers once again outpace high schoolers in alleged criminal activity

By James Cullum

Published October 10, 2024 at 9:00AM | Updated October 10, 2024 at 10:36AM

George Washington Middle School (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Thirty-eight Alexandria students were referred to court for alleged criminal activity in the second semester of the last school year, and there was also a significant uptick in the number of incidents requiring a police response.

That’s according to a new system-wide safety report that the School Board will receive on Thursday night.

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Here’s why Alexandria City Hall and Market Square will be illuminated by purple lights this weekend

By James Cullum

Published August 27, 2024 at 10:50AM

City Hall at Market Square is being lit purple at night (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria’s City Hall and Market Square (301 King Street) will be illuminated by purple lights this weekend in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day.

The lights will go on from Saturday, Aug. 29, until Sunday morning, Sept. 1, and the city says that the information on local overdoses and their impact on the Alexandria community will be displayed in the light show.

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Alexandria estimated to receive $124,334 from opioid settlement with Kroger

By Vernon Miles

Published June 21, 2024 at 10:15AM

30mg Oxycodone (image via DEA)

The City of Alexandria is estimated to receive $124,334 over the next 11 years from grocery store chain Kroger as part of an opioid-related settlement.

Kroger will pay approximately $10.5 million to the Commonwealth of Virginia over the next 11 years as part of a $1.4 billion settlement in a lawsuit that alleged the supermarket’s pharmacies helped fuel the opioid epidemic.

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Got drugs? ‘Drug Take Back Day’ is this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published April 22, 2024 at 1:30PM

An Alexandria Drug Take Back Day event sponsored by the Alexandria Police Department and Sheriff's Office (image via DCHS/Facebook)

Got any spare drugs? In an effort to curb misuse, Alexandria is asking residents to drop off expired prescription medication on Saturday (April 27).

It’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. residents can drop off their unneeded prescription drugs (including pet medication) at: