The public appeal and interest in major criminals go beyond Hollywood representations across movies and TV shows, in real life, there are a number of criminals who have achieved popularity and sometimes, have been celebrated by the public, a prime example being Pablo Escobar. Another is Frank Lucas, who was also a notorious drug dealer, and his notoriety extended to his wife, Julianna Farrait.
Not only is Julianna Farrait popular as the wife of the famous drug dealer, but she is also known as a co-conspirator, who has been arrested multiple times for her contributions to her husband’s criminal enterprise. While she is no Wendy Byrde from the Ozark series, she has committed enough crime to spend multiple years behind bars.
Julianna Farrait Met Frank Lucas at a Puerto Rican Nightclub
Julianna Farrait first came in contact with Frank Lucas when she was a homecoming Queen, in a nightclub, during one of Frank’s visits to Puerto Rico. A personal admission of her attraction to material things led Julianna to Frank and they developed a lasting relationship afterward. The duo was known to spend extravagant sums on gifts for each other. One such gift was a chinchilla coat and a hat that Juliana bought for Lucas. The coat was worth a total of $125,000 and the matching hat was valued at $40,000.
The Two Were Married for Over 40 Years
Frank Lucas and his wife had a long-term marriage. Although the year the two tied the knot is not yet available, it is of public knowledge that they stayed married for over forty years. The union produced three children namely Francine Lucas-Sinclair, Frank Lucas Jr., and Ray Lucas. Following her marriage to Frank, she became a stepmother to his other four children named Tony, Betty, Walters, Candace, and Ruby Lucas.
Despite having a long married life, the couple’s criminal activities got them separated after Lucas was apprehended in 1975 for drug smuggling. As a result of his arrest, Juliana also got arrested for which she served a five-year jail term as an accomplice to Frank’s illegal business. Upon release from prison, she moved in with her parents in Puerto Rico. A few years passed while she was in Puerto Rico, Lucas got released from prison following his co-operation with prosecutors as a result of helping officials prosecute and close over 100 drug cases. He got his prison time significantly reduced to time served plus lifetime parole in 1981,
Juliana later reconciled with Frank in the year 2006 and the two moved back to the US and returned to their home in New Jersey. The couple lived together in New Jersey until the death of Frank Lucas on May 30th, 2019 in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. He is said to have died from natural causes.
Meet Their Children
So far, out of Julianna and Frank’s seven children, two have become notable names – Francine Lucas-Sinclair and Frank Lucas Jr. The other five are living their lives away from the public eye.
Their daughter, Francine Lucas-Sinclair, created a website, Yellow Brick Road which is focused on providing resources to children of imprisoned parents. She was inspired to venture into the project following her traumatic childhood experience as she witnessed their home being raided by 10 drug enforcement administration agents and equally 10 agents from the Organised Crime Control Bureau’s department in New York, at the age of three.
Frank Lucas Jr. is a musician who works as the founder of Lucas Legacy Group that comprises of a record label and clothing label. Having been influenced by LL Cool J, Just Ice, Slick Rick, and Rakim, Lucas Jr. began performing in their home when he was three years old. He later worked as a battle emcee before moving on to release mix-tapes which includes ‘Birthright’ and ‘Blue Magic’. He has additionally appeared in a few movies such as Tonight’s the Note (2007) and Night Bird (2012).
Julianna’s Involvement in Her Ex-Husband’s Illegal Business
Having been attracted to the luxury things of life, Julianna Farrait’s famous life of crime began shortly after she met Frank Lucas, a notorious and wealthy drug dealer. Lucas gained notoriety for his drug trafficking operations in Harlem, New York, as he was purchasing heroin directly from his source in Southeast Asia. Thus, he made away with the activities of middlemen in the drug trade. Between the late 1960s and early 1970s, his drug peddling business was at its peak, and he reportedly made not less than $300,000 as profit per kilo of heroin.
After getting acquainted with Julianna, the two began to engage in the illegal drug business, with Julianna helping with money laundering and cover-ups. Through the relationship, she spent time going in and out of jail. She got involved in her ex-husband’s drug business and was sentenced to five years in prison during Frank’s first major arrest at his house situated in New Jersey. This saw him bag 70 years in prison with over half a million dollars seized from him during the raiding that took place at his home in 1975.
She was convicted for being an accomplice to Frank Lucas’ drug deals and equally trying to hide some money when their home was raided. Following her eventual release from prison, Julianna Farrait has since returned to prison a couple of times for other offenses, with one major occurrence being in February 2012.
She Continued With Drug Smuggling After Her Ex-Husband Retired
Julianna Farrait was sentenced to another five years in prison after she was caught and arrested in 2010 for trying to sell 2kg of cocaine in a hotel in Puerto Rico. Having been under surveillance since February 2009, she was caught during a sting operation that saw her try to sell drugs to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent.
At the time of her arrest, Julianna’s ex-husband was said to have almost quit his drug smuggling business. He was last apprehended in 1984 when he was convicted for trying to trade $13,000 and one ounce of heroin for one kg of cocaine. As a result, Lucas was sentenced to seven years imprisonment and eventually regained his freedom in the year 1991, after which, he reportedly retired from the drug business. Similarly, Julianna Farrait also avoided the illegal business after serving her second five years jail sentence and has never made the news headlines for drug peddling since then.
The movie, American Gangster, was an adaptation of her husband’s drug career, including Juliana’s part in his criminal enterprise. The character of Julianna Farrait was played by Lymari Nadal while Denzel Washington played the role of her husband, Frank Lucas. The movie earned an Academy Award nomination.
