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NORTH HALEDON, NJ – A Passaic County man was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for his role in a massive international drug trafficking and money laundering operation that funneled hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues into the United States from China, federal authorities said.

According to court documents, 53-year-old William Panzera was a key member of a drug trafficking organization that imported and distributed controlled substances and analogues including fentanyl analogues, MDMA, methylone, and ketamine. Prosecutors said the group ordered the substances from a supplier in China and distributed them across New Jersey, both in bulk and in counterfeit pharmaceutical pills laced with fentanyl analogues.

Investigators determined that Panzera and his co-conspirators imported more than a metric ton of fentanyl-related substances and other drugs, paying suppliers in China through wire transfers and Bitcoin transactions totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. The case exposed a sophisticated operation that combined large-scale narcotics trafficking with international financial laundering networks.

William Panzera convicted of trafficking fentanyl and laundering money overseas
The organization imported more than a metric ton of fentanyl analogues
Payments to Chinese suppliers were made through wire transfers and cryptocurrency

Panzera was convicted at trial in January 2025 on charges of drug trafficking conspiracy and international promotional money laundering conspiracy. Eight other defendants have already pleaded guilty in related prosecutions.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced the sentence. The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations’ Newark Field Division, with assistance from multiple agencies including the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Newark Police Department.

Deputy Chief Stephen Sola of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra prosecuted the case, with support from Financial Investigator Kathryn Montemorra.

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