Drug dealer who received international attention for smiling mug shot is sentenced

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - Sarah Elizabeth Furay, a drug dealer who received international attention following her 2015 arrest in College Station, was sentenced Thursday in a Brazos County courtroom to eight years in prison.

A spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office says Furay, who now lives in the Houston-area, received eight years in prison for each of the three drug trafficking charges and the maximum two-year sentence on her single charge of possession of marijuana.

She’ll serve those sentences concurrently, meaning they will all be served at the same time.

Going Viral

Furay was attending Blinn College at the time of her arrest and was 19 when her smiling mug shot went viral on the internet, with many media outlets dubbing her the “adorable drug kingpin,” but that’s not the only reason her case has been watched closely. Her father is a former supervisor of the Drug Enforcement Agency, and many wrongly assumed that Furay’s charges would be swept under the rug because of her father’s connections.

In a new mug shot taken on Thursday following her sentencing, Furay appeared much more subdued compared to her first jailhouse photo.

The Arrest

During a search warrant executed by College Station police, officers found large amounts of meth, cocaine, and marijuana in her apartment. Police said they were led to her place after receiving a tip.

The day after she was arrested, Furay was released on bonds totaling $39,000.

She pleaded guilty to the drug charges in October this year, including two 1st degree felony drug trafficking charges, one 2nd degree felony drug trafficking charge, and the marijuana possession charge.

Furay was sentenced by Brazos County Judge Travis Bryan III.