Newark, NJ – A man from North Haledon was sentenced today to 12 years in federal prison for his involvement in a significant fentanyl trafficking and international money laundering conspiracy, as announced by the Justice Department.
William Panzera, 53, was found guilty in January 2025 by a federal jury in Newark for conspiring to distribute substances related to fentanyl and for laundering money. Eight other co-conspirators had already pleaded guilty in related cases.
Court documents reveal that from January 2014 to September 2020, Panzera and other members of a drug trafficking organization imported hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues, MDMA, methylone, and ketamine from a source in China. The drugs were distributed throughout New Jersey, both in bulk and as counterfeit pharmaceutical pills containing fentanyl analogues. Investigators found that the organization imported over a metric ton of fentanyl-related substances and other drugs during the conspiracy.
To finance the drug purchases, Panzera and his co-conspirators transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to China using wire transfers and cryptocurrency, a method that was central to the international money laundering charges for which Panzera was convicted.
“The sentence handed down today reflects the severity of the crime and the danger posed to communities by the distribution of fentanyl and other illicit drugs,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna from the District of New Jersey pointed out that Panzera and his accomplices took advantage of the drug trade to reap substantial financial rewards, jeopardizing public safety through the extensive distribution of powerful synthetic opioids.
Panzera was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of furanyl fentanyl and 100 grams or more of 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl, as well as conspiracy to engage in international promotional money laundering. He was subjected to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for the drug trafficking offense, with a potential maximum of life imprisonment, while the money laundering charge could result in up to 20 years in prison.
The 12-year prison sentence will be succeeded by a period of supervised release, and a federal judge will evaluate the imposition of additional fines and restitution according to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
