Grand jury indicts Cincinnati man with fentanyl crime, money laundering

CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury indicted a Cincinnati man today on charges related to trafficking fentanyl and laundering the proceeds.

Nathaniel Williams, 44, is charged with possessing with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and money laundering.

According to the indictment, on Oct. 18, Williams possessed bulk amounts of fentanyl.

In August 2023, Williams allegedly provided cash from his narcotics sales to an individual who then wired $15,120 of the funds into Williams’s bank account via a wire transfer. Williams withdrew $10,000 of the funds in cash a few days later.

Agents discovered more than $44,000 in cash at Williams’s residence while executing a search warrant.

Possessing with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison. Money laundering carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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