Anchorage man sentenced to 20 years for leading local drug trafficking conspiracy

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man currently serving a 20-year term of incarceration was sentenced yesterday to an additional 20 years in prison for leading a drug trafficking organization that was responsible for trafficking over eight kilograms of dangerous drugs in Alaska.

According to court documents, from April to December 2023, Rodney Godwin, 51, organized and operated a drug trafficking organization while under indictment for a separate drug trafficking crime. Godwin’s organization imported and distributed over 3.8 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1.6 kilograms of cocaine and 1.3 kilograms of heroin within Alaska. Godwin also possessed numerous firearms in connection to the drug trafficking organization.

On Sept. 12, 2023, Godwin was arrested after he failed to appear for sentencing in another federal drug trafficking case. Immediately prior to his arrest, Godwin was a passenger in a vehicle that left the area of two motorhomes he used for his drug operation. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, Godwin fled. He was apprehended later that day after a brief foot pursuit. Law enforcement officers discovered roughly $6,000 in cash on his person and a loaded handgun close to where he was arrested. He was sentenced in absentia to 20 years in federal prison earlier that day while in abscond status prior to his arrest.

Law enforcement continued their investigation and searched the vehicle. They found over $192,000 in cash, large amounts of drugs and a loaded firearm. Law enforcement also searched one of the motorhomes Godwin was using to traffic drugs and discovered large quantities of drugs and multiple firearms. Godwin continued to lead the organization from jail after he was arrested.

On May 23, 2024, Godwin and seven co-defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in this matter. On May 10, 2025, Godwin pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.  At sentencing, the Court ordered Godwin to serve his 20-year sentence consecutive to the 20-year sentence he received for his earlier federal drug trafficking conviction from 2023. In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized Godwin’s extensive criminal history, the significance of his crime and the message his sentence sends to the public. Specifically, the Court expressed that if criminals running the drug trafficking organizations targeting Alaska reoffend, there will be harsh consequences.

“Mr. Godwin has a long criminal history and chose to continue to engage in conduct that placed our community at risk, landing him in jail for nearly the rest of his life," said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. "This sentence should serve as a warning to offenders in Alaska that my office, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners at the federal, state and local level, will be relentless in our efforts to keep our community safe from drug trafficking and violent crime.”

“Godwin oversaw the importation and distribution of dangerous drugs into and throughout Alaska, jeopardizing public safety in a profound way,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “For his actions, he will now spend decades in federal prison. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not allow criminals like Godwin to operate with impunity in our communities.”

• Calvin Oktollik, 37, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2026.
• Miles Apatiki, 38, of Anchorage, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Apatiki’s case remains pending.
• Jennifer Godwin, 41, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty on July 11, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date.
• Andrew Akulaw, 42, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date.
• Reigna Archuleta, 40, of Anchorage, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of attempted possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and one count of carrying firearms during a drug trafficking crime. Archuleta’s case remains pending.
• David Henry, 51, of Palmer, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Henry’s case remains pending.
• Page Peak, 27, of Sterling, pleaded guilty on July 30, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date.

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case as part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Anchorage Domicile, IRS Criminal Investigation, Alaska State Troopers and U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Beausang and Mandy Mackenzie are prosecuting the case.

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