Source: Office of United States Attorneys
CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man has been sentenced to nearly 17 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of trafficking fentanyl and illegally possessing firearms.
Richard Woodard, aka RJ, 46, was sentenced to 202 months (approximately 16.8 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after a federal jury convicted him in April for the following charges as outlined in the superseding indictment:
- 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; previous conviction for aggravated robbery in 1997.
- One count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Woodard was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment and to forfeit $13,776 and all firearms seized by federal agents. The sentence was imposed by Judge Barker Aug. 13, 2025.
“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, on Aug. 7, 2020, law enforcement was investigating a drug overdose death that occurred July 28, 2020. The investigation led to a suspect identified as Woodard. As agents conducted surveillance on the defendant, they observed several behaviors consistent with drug activity. Woodard was followed to a gas station where he parked the Mercedes SUV he was driving and left the motor running while he went inside the business. As he headed back out to his vehicle, Woodard was arrested for the drug transaction activity that had occurred earlier. Agents unlocked the vehicle’s door to shut off the motor and found plastic bags containing suspected drugs, a digital scale, and two cellphones. During a subsequent search warrant execution of Woodard’s residence, agents seized $13,776 in U.S. currency, two 9mm pistols, two .22lr caliber rifles, and miscellaneous 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.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division’s FBI Task Force and the Cleveland Division of Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Sweeney and Vasile C. Katsaros for the Northern District of Ohio.
National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is observed this month, Thursday Aug. 21, 2025. For more information about this and other resources, visit dea.gov/fentanylawareness.