Daniel Rogerson-Wise, 33, of North Ridgeville, was charged in federal court with attempting to possess with intent to distribute a fentanyl analogue, law enforcement officials said.
HSI special agents were informed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that a parcel containing fentanyl was in route to the United States from China. HSI special agents examined the package on March 13 at the North Ridgeville Post Office, according to an affidavit filed in the case.
The package contained a white crystalized substance. It was addressed to a home on Grant Drive in North Ridgeville and had a return address in Hong Kong, according to the affidavit.
The substance was tested and was found to be nearly 10 grams of FluoroIsoButyryl fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, according to the affidavit.
On March 20, HSI agents were again informed that a parcel containing fentanyl was again in route from China to the United States, again addressed to the home on Grant Drive and with a return address in Hong Kong, according to the affidavit.
The parcel was intercepted and the contents tested. It was found to contain more than 10 grams of FluoroIsoButyryl fentanyl, according to the affidavit.
A law enforcement official posing as a postal employee contacted Rogerson-Wise on March 29. Rogerson-Wise confirmed he was expecting the packages. Law enforcement officials then replaced the contents of the parcel and made a controlled delivery to the Grant Drive home, according to the affidavit.
Rogerson-Wise approached the home and later admitted opening the parcel. Rogerson-Wise told investigators that he was ordering an opioid that he thought was legal, referring to it as a research chemical called fib F. He admitted to having approximately 30 grams of fib F shipped from China, according to the affidavit.
Investigators then searched an apartment on Ignatius Avenue in Cleveland where Rogerson-Wise that was a possible residence for him. Investigators searched a bedroom where Rogerson-Wise slept and found his birth certificate, a loaded Smith & Wesson revolver and two notebooks, according to the affidavit.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Cronin following an investigation by the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the North Ridgeville Police Department.
A charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
