A Duquesne man has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison after being found guilty of distributing fentanyl, a substance that led to the death of a young woman, and participating in a separate drug distribution conspiracy while incarcerated. Rahde Williamson, 28, received his sentence from United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy on Monday, as was announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Following his prison term, Williamson will also face five years of supervised release, as cited by the Department of Justice.
During the period from December 2018 through August 2019, Williamson supplied over 400 grams of fentanyl to Delmar Pritchett, a fellow dealer based in Monessen. It was some of this fentanyl that Pritchett distributed to the 21-year-old victim identified only as T.H., who overdosed and died in June 2019. The courts found that both Williamson and Pritchett were to accept responsibility for the young woman's death. Furthermore, while detained at the Butler County Prison and awaiting trial, Williamson was involved in directly supplying suboxone, a controlled narcotic substance, which the court considered in the sentencing.
Earlier in the related case, on May 17, Senior U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer sentenced Pritchett to eight years in prison and five years of supervised release for his involvement in T.H.'s death and his conspiracy with Williamson. "Today's sentencing is yet another reminder that the distribution of fentanyl can lead to tragedy," U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan stated, as per the Department of Justice.
The prosecution of Williamson was led by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt. U.S. Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration for their investigative work that led to successfully prosecuting Williamson, a statement read on the Department of Justice's website. The case shines a light on the disturbing continuity of the drug trade, persisting even behind bars, and the ongoing fight against the opioid epidemic that continues to claim lives across the nation.
