A Baltimore, Maryland, man was sentenced on July 16 to five years in federal prison for selling fentanyl in Harrison County, West Virginia, according to U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Paul Samuel Williams, age 27 and also known as “G,” received a sentence of 60 months for distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Prosecutors said Williams sold 51 grams of fentanyl for $3,500 in the parking lot of a business located in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Authorities noted that Williams has a criminal history with multiple drug convictions.
After completing his prison term, Williams will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Rhee and investigated by the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, which is funded through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas initiative.
Fentanyl has been designated as a weapon of mass destruction by President Donald Trump due to its extreme lethality and threat to public safety even in small amounts. This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative aiming at eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime and illegal immigration.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided over the sentencing.