Point Boro 'American Idol' Star Speaks To Asbury Park Press

POINT PLEASANT BORO – Antonella Barba, a former "American Idol" contestant from Point Pleasant convicted on fentanyl possession charges, told The Asbury Park Press from a Virginia prison that she made the "wrong decision," but tried to keep a positive outlook in an interview with the newspaper.

You can read the whole story here.

The interview comes two months after Barba was sentenced to 45 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

The intervew also comes six months after Barba pleaded guilty on July 30 to possessing enough of the drug, many more times powerful than heroin, to kill 200,000 people, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office release.

Barba had faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, even though her attorney asked for no more than about 4 years. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.

James O. Broccoletti, one of Barba's attorneys, suggested that the former "American Idol" star should receive no more than 4 years, saying her involvement in the crime "is limited to delivering one shipment of drugs."

"As counsel understands it, the other participants in this conspiracy consisted of a high-level trafficker and several mid-level and street-level dealers," he wrote in a recent court filing.

Broccoletti also wrote that Barba "had very little if any insight into the scope and structure of this conspiracy. In fact, prior to receiving the package, she did not know the type of substance or the quantity she was to deliver."

Barba, he said, is a young woman who "not so long ago stood poised on the brink of a promising career as an entertainer, perhaps even stardom."

"Now, that has all but evaporated," Broccoletti said.

According to court documents, Barba's troubles began when she was parked in downtown Norfolk, Va. at approximately 11:05 p.m. in October 2018 and she was approached by law enforcement. A dog handler screened Barba’s rental vehicle with a drug dog, which "alerted on the vehicle," according to a U.S. Attorney's Office release.

The canine officer searched Barba’s rental vehicle and discovered a closed shoebox in plain view on the front passenger floorboard. The officer opened the shoebox and discovered a plastic bag containing a large quantity of a white, rock-like substance, according to the release.

Barba subsequently admitted she had landed at Washington-Dulles at 4 p.m. on a flight from Los Angeles and that she rented a car there and drove to Norfolk, according to the release.

The substance seized from Barba’s rental car was submitted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Savannah Laboratory for forensic analysis, and a forensic scientist determined the substance to be fentanyl – a Schedule II controlled substance – with a total weight of 830.9 grams.

The sentencing also comes days after new documents were filed with the court, all intended to help reduce Barba's sentence.

The documents said the Point Pleasant native was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder and narcissistic personality disorder. She's taking medications and is under the care of a therapist, the records say.

The U.S. Attorney's Office filed an objection to the request, saying Barba's crime is so severe that "the defendant cannot establish that she is entitled to a reduction for her role."

Letters, Broccoletti said, set forth a compelling picture of Barba’s background and characteristics and "paint for the court a complete picture of her true character; that of a resilient, deeply religious, selfless, and driven person; someone who could rightfully be called a perfectionist."

"Ms. Barba’s mother recounts how her daughter, as early as the age of 4, would spend hours upon hours practicing her violin until she was perfect," he said.

Barba brought this same exacting attitude to her academic career as well, and she was always an excellent student, Broccoletti said.

In high school, Barba maintained a near-perfect grade point average despite a rigorous schedule of college preparatory courses combined with music and singing lessons, he said.

"When she was not in school or at violin, piano, or choir practice, Ms. Barba could inevitably be found either teaching music to children or volunteering in some form or fashion," Broccoletti said.

Read more: Point Boro 'American Idol' Star Deteriorated After Stardom: Mom

A close friend of Barba’s, who attended Catholic University with her, recounts the rigor of her academic program and "the many sleepless nights Ms. Barba spent earning her architecture degree. These sentiments are echoed by Ms. Barba’s mother as well."

In spite of the demands inherent to her course of study, Barba continued to hone her craft as a musician and a singer, he said.

"Her natural talents and determination ultimately led to her appearance on American Idol and catapulted her onto the national stage," he said. "Following American Idol, Ms. Barba returned to finish her degree, and even graduated on time despite taking an entire semester off to focus on the competition."

One of the common themes, however, is that the "American Idol" experience brought about a "detrimental change" in Barba’s life, Broccoletti said.

For instance, one friend noted that Barba’s sudden move to Hollywood following "American Idol" “was a recipe for disaster” and when it came to pass that Barba was unable to “achieve the results she wanted, it was devastating to her.”

Likewise, Barba’s mother believes that, when "American Idol" happened and “the world intruded and interrupted her . . . dream of a career in architecture, ... it all went wrong,” the attorney said.

"Indeed, those that have known Ms. Barba the longest struggle with the question of just how the kind, quiet, pious and immensely talented girl, who they watched with such reverence as she grew up, finds herself facing sentencing in a federal drug case," Broccoletti said.

She's had some recent troubles, too. Barba was ordered back to prison in September by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard for violating the terms of her release before her Thursday sentencing, according to court documents.

Barba's father, Vincenzo, informed the U.S. Probation Office that he wished to resign from his role as third-party custodian. Absent a third-party custodian, Barba could not meet her conditions of her release, the judge said.

Barba had been placed in the custody of her father in Point Pleasant and was ordered to surrender her passport to the U.S. Probation Office. Travel was restricted to New Jersey and Virginia for court appearances and meetings with counsel, according to court records.

Barba also was ordered to not possess a firearm, destructive device or other weapon or use alcohol excessively. She also had to participate in a program for inpatient or outpatient substance abuse therapy and had to submit to electronic monitoring.

A decade ago, Barba seemed on the verge of a successful singing career, even as she initially ran into some hot water when some provocative photos of her surfaced online.

Barba released the single "Jersey Girl" and identified herself as a singer, violinist and pianist on her Instagram page and sang the National Anthem before a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game. She sang with other "American Idol" alums on Jimmy Kimmel's TV show (see videos below).

She got to meet and befriend famous people, having her picture taken with the likes of Al Pacino and Magic Johnson.

"Told Magic in April when I sang at the game that I’d see him at the playoffs and now we’re at the playoffs," she wrote in one Twitter post two years ago.

Now, even as the Point Pleasant Boro resident still has an official website that says "Coming Soon," it appears that Barba's dreams have come and gone.