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2 siblings sentenced in ND fentanyl probe

By Pat Sweeney Sep 8, 2023 | 5:00 PM

A federal judge has sentenced another defendant in an international fentanyl trafficking investigation with ties to North Dakota.

U.S. Chief District Judge Peter Welte today (Fri) sentenced 45-year-old Vannek Um to four years… after she pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in March.

The sentence came two days after Welte sentenced Um’s sister Marie to 23 years for drug-related and money laundering conspiracy charges.

Both women received credit for time served.

The sisters are among more than 30 people charged in North Dakota and Oregon in connection with “Operation Denial” — an investigation that started in 2015 following the overdose death of 18-year-old Bailey Henke of Grand Forks.

Five fugitives from China remain.

The drug operation was run by a man in a Quebec prison.

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AP