An Ohio man from Cleveland will be spending nearly 17 years in prison following his conviction on charges of fentanyl trafficking and illegal possession of firearms. Richard Woodard, 46, also known as RJ, was handed a 202-month sentence by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after a jury found him guilty, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio on their official website.
The sentence, imposed on August 13, 2025, covers two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and two counts of distribution of fentanyl. Alongside the drug charges, Woodard is also facing a conviction as a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition from a previous conviction for aggravated robbery in 1997, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to his prison sentence, Woodard was ordered to serve five years of supervised release and to forfeit $13,776 along with all firearms confiscated by federal agents during the investigation.
"This significant sentence protects the public from Mr. Woodard and should deter others from peddling fentanyl to vulnerable populations," said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. "Criminals who blatantly and repeatedly disregard the law will face consequences—and years—behind bars," he stated, praising the work of the FBI Task Force, the Cleveland Division of Police, and other local law enforcement partners.
Woodard's criminal activities came under law enforcement's radar during the investigation of a drug overdose death on July 28, 2020. Following Woodard, they observed him engaged in what appeared to be drug-related activity on Aug. 7, 2020. While the suspect parked his running Mercedes SUV at a gas station, federal agents intercepted him, uncovering bags suspected to contain drugs, a digital scale, and two cellphones in his vehicle. A search of Woodard's residence later resulted in the seizure of cash, firearms, and 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," in a statement obtained from FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen, as received by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The convictions were the result of collaborative efforts by the FBI Cleveland Division’s FBI Task Force and the Cleveland Division of Police, with Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Sweeney and Vasile C. Katsaros leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio. Woodard will now begin his lengthy prison term, serving as a cautionary tale to those entangled in the web of drug trafficking within the region.
