Former 'American Idol' star Antonella Barba confined to parents' home before drug trial

Ken Serrano
Updated

Former 'American Idol' star Antonella Barba was expected to be released from federal custody Thursday as she awaits trial on charges that she attempted to distribute nearly two pounds of fentanyl in Virginia in October.

Her father, Vincenzo Barba, signed off on an unsecured $10,000 bond as a requirement for her release following a 15-minute hearing in U.S. District Court, Norfolk Wednesday, according to court records.

Barba will be required to wear an ankle monitor while under home confinement at her father’s residence, court documents add.

Related: Antonella Barba, former 'American Idol' star, accused of dealing nearly 2 lbs. of fentanyl

Antonella Barba, a Point Pleasant native who sang on "American Idol" in 2007, was arrested for allegedly selling heroin in Virginia last week.
Antonella Barba, a Point Pleasant native who sang on "American Idol" in 2007, was arrested for allegedly selling heroin in Virginia last week.

That order from U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence R. Leonard came after prosecutors withdrew their motion to keep Barba detained, said Joshua Stueve, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Her attorney, James Broccoletti, did not immediately return a call.

During her detention hearing and arraignment, Barba pleaded not guilty and demanded a trial by jury through her attorney.

No trial date has been set.

The judge waived a speedy trial requirement, citing the complexity of the case, Stueve said. The Eastern District is known for moving trials along swiftly, he said.

Barba’s attorney did not object to setting aside speedy trial requirements, according to court documents.

Antonella Barba of Point . Pleasant on "American Idol."
Antonella Barba of Point . Pleasant on "American Idol."

Barba was arrested Oct. 11 in a residential and business area in downtown Norfolk. She was charged with one count of possession of more than 100 grams of heroin with intent to distribute it under state law

She faced from five to 40 years in prison if convicted. But those charges were dropped when a federal grand jury handed up an indictment charging Barba, 32, with one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy.

She is alleged to have been a member of a drug ring that dealt in heroin, cocaine and fentanyl.

The federal charges she now faces carry even stiffer penalties.

Each of the two counts carries a maximum prison sentence of life — the distribution charge carries a minimum term of 10 years — if she is convicted. To learn about the toll of the opioid epidemic, scroll to the video above.

An attorney speaking on Barba's behalf after her arrest said Barba maintains that she did not know drugs were in her rented vehicle.She was enroute to a recording session in Miami from her home in California, he said.

Barba, who was from Point Pleasant, made it into the final 16 of the sixth season of American Idol in 2007. That year the show earned its second-highest ratings during its run on Fox and was one of the most successful television programs of all time, according to a prior Press report.

Related: 'American Idol' Season 6 contestant Antonella Barba arrested, charged with dealing heroin

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Former 'American Idol' star Antonella Barba confined to parents' home before drug trial