Fredrick Crawford, 33, of Upper Marlboro, is headed to federal prison for 66 months after admitting he sold fentanyl across Washington, D.C. Prosecutors said he kept distribution-level quantities of the drug at a residence where his young children lived. A judge also tacked on two years of supervised release to follow his prison term.
How investigators built the case
Between April and August 2025, an undercover officer bought fentanyl from Crawford in six separate transactions, all carried out in a vehicle parked on the 2400 block of Market Street NE. Those buys totaled about 278 grams, according to court records. Prosecutors say Crawford then negotiated a September 2025 deal for a half-kilogram, and the string of controlled buys gave investigators enough to seek a search warrant.
The investigation was run out of the DEA's Washington field office, and federal agents leaned on the undercover purchases to build their case, according to DC News Now.
Search, seizures and what prosecutors say
When officers executed a search warrant at the Upper Marlboro residence on October 1, 2025, they reported finding distribution quantities of fentanyl, crack and powder cocaine, marijuana and promethazine. They also seized more than $10,000 in cash and various types of ammunition, including a drum magazine loaded with roughly 40 rounds.
Investigators said a substance recovered from a dresser tested positive for both fentanyl and cocaine. They also found roughly 21 grams of crack cocaine in a basement toilet, a location that court records describe as consistent with an attempt to destroy evidence.
"Crawford sold fentanyl, one of the deadliest substances on earth," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said in court, according to DC News Now.
Why prosecutors pushed for a federal sentence
Federal prosecutors argued Crawford's case called for a multi-year sentence because of the quantities involved, the pattern of sales across the city, and the risk to children and neighbors when large amounts of illicit opioids are stored in a family home. They pointed to public health data showing that illegally made fentanyl is a leading driver of overdose deaths, and to federal law-enforcement guidance that tiny amounts can be lethal.
For more background, see the CDC on fentanyl's role in overdose deaths and the DEA for details on its potency and risks.
Local context and next steps
Crawford's sentence is one of several recent federal moves in the DMV aimed at disrupting fentanyl distribution, a push that has produced multiple multi-year prison terms in just a few weeks. Prosecutors referenced a June 12 case involving a Maryland man who trafficked thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills across the region, citing it as part of a broader enforcement wave. That fake oxy dealer case and related prosecutions around the District were previously reported.
Legal note
Crawford pleaded guilty in February to unlawful distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, admitting to the sales described in court filings. He received a 66-month federal prison sentence and will serve two years of supervised release afterward. The judgment may also include forfeiture or restitution as ordered by the court.
