Importer and Distributer of Wholesale Quantities of Fentanyl Pleads Guilty

           WASHINGTON – Ronnie Rogers, 69, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that imported and redistributed wholesale quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine in the District of Columbia.

          The plea agreement was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, FBI Special Agent Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

          Rogers pleaded guilty to a three-count Information charging him with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, and 100 grams or more of heroin; conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and cocaine base; and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 21, 2025. Rogers is eligible for a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison to a maximum of life.

          According to the plea agreement, between July 2021 and November 2023, Rogers coordinated with his co-conspirators to traffic fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base in the District of Columbia and elsewhere. This included over 12 kilograms of fentanyl (including carfentanil, which is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl), over 1967 grams of fentanyl analog (p-Fluorofentanyl, which is also more lethal than fentanyl), over 236 grams of heroin, over 500 grams of cocaine, and less than 28 grams of cocaine base.

          On November 29, 2023, law enforcement executed search warrants at Rogers’ various residences.

          At his apartment on the 1200 block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW, law enforcement recovered an array of narcotics that included a large baggie containing 494.8 grams of mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and carfentanil; another baggie with 704.8 grams of carfentanil, an envelope containing 115.91 grams of fentanyl; another baggie containing 201 grams of fentanyl; and baggies containing 1,785 grams acetaminophen and 18 grams of fentanyl. In addition, officers recovered a Smith & Wesson SD-40 firearm, a Glock 43 pistol, a Rugar LCP pistol, $23,000 in cash, and an assortment of drug packaging materials and scales.

          At Roger’s residence on the 6500 block of Gateway Boulevard, in District Heights, Maryland, law enforcement recovered more narcotics and weapons including two baggies containing 151 grams of fentanyl; plastic bags containing 2.4 grams of xylazine and 1.8 grams of heroin; baggies containing bundles of smaller bags containing 7.7 grams of  fentanyl, heroin, xylazine, 1.4 grams of carfentanil, and 2.8 grams of acetaminophen, 20 small baggies containing 5.1 grams of fentanyl, heroin and xylazine; and bags containing 97.3 grams of heroin and fentanyl, 45.4 grams of cocaine base, and 14.2 grams of fentanyl with xylazine. Officers also recovered a Smith &Wesson .357 revolver, a Springfield XD 9mm firearm, a Canik TP9 pistol, assorted ammunition and magazines and $1,524 in cash.

          At another residence utilized by Rogers located on the 2100 block of Pineview Court, Waldorf, Maryland, law enforcement recovered a FedEx parcel containing 1,013 grams of fentanyl.

         This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

         This case is being investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the FBI Washington Field Office, the Alexandria Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Washington Field Division, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Montgomery County Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Interdiction Unit, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, Arlington County Police, Montgomery County Department of Police, Virginia State Police, Loudoun County Sherriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland (Greenbelt), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.

          The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Eliopoulos and Matthew Kinskey of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Section.

23cr394