Buckeye Reporter

A Cleveland man has been sentenced to nearly 17 years in federal prison after being convicted of fentanyl trafficking and illegal firearm possession. Richard Woodard, also known as RJ, age 46, received a sentence of 202 months from U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker following his conviction in April on several charges.

The charges against Woodard included two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, two counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition stemming from a previous aggravated robbery conviction in 1997, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the prison term, Woodard will serve five years of supervised release and must forfeit $13,776 along with all firearms seized by authorities.

“This significant sentence protects the public from Mr. Woodard and should deter others from peddling fentanyl to vulnerable populations. Criminals who blatantly and repeatedly disregard the law will face consequences—and years—behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District Ohio. “Our office commends the diligent work of investigators on the FBI Task Force, the Cleveland Division of Police, and our other local law enforcement partners for their dedication to making sure Cleveland’s streets are safer.”

According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating Woodard after a fatal drug overdose occurred on July 28, 2020. Surveillance led agents to observe behavior consistent with drug activity before arresting Woodard at a gas station on August 7, 2020. During his arrest and subsequent searches, authorities found plastic bags containing suspected drugs, a digital scale, two cellphones in his vehicle, $13,776 in cash at his residence along with two pistols, two rifles and ammunition.

“The FBI continues to focus on crushing violent crime and that includes finding and investigating career criminals who seek to poison our communities by pushing illicit and dangerous drugs into our neighborhoods,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “The FBI, together with its local, state, and federal partners, will continue to fight crime by sharing resources, manpower, and intelligence that ultimately disrupts and dismantles traffickers in Northern Ohio. Today’s sentence serves as a reminder, if you are engaged in drug trafficking, we will find you, we will identify you, and we will bring you to justice.”

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division’s Task Force along with the Cleveland Division of Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Sweeney and Vasile C. Katsaros prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.

National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is recognized this month on Thursday Aug. 21; more information is available at dea.gov/fentanylawareness.