Three Men Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Heroin

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal indictment was unsealed late yesterday charging three members of an alleged Washington, D.C., area drug crew with drug and firearms offenses.

According to allegations in the second superseding indictment, Donnell Leroy Williams, aka “Bubbles,” his son, Antonio Donnell Shelton, aka “Little Bubbles,” and Demetrius Antonio Johnson, aka “Bake,” worked together to distribute several types of controlled substances, including fentanyl, a highly dangerous synthetic opioid.

During the course of the drug conspiracy, Donnell Williams resided in Hyattsville, Maryland. Donnell Williams coordinated drug transactions with customers over the phone, and he drove to locations in Arlington, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. to meet customers and distribute fentanyl. When Williams was unavailable, he directed his customers to other members of his crew, including his son, Shelton, and Johnson.

According to allegations in the indictment, beginning in May 2017, an undercover Fairfax County detective conducted several deals with Williams, eventually working his way to purchasing approximately 1/2 kilogram of fentanyl from Williams for $40,000. On November 7, 2017, the FBI arrested Williams and searched his apartment in Hyattsville. Inside the apartment, FBI agents found a large quantity of fentanyl packaged in small baggies for distribution. Agents also found large quantities of crack cocaine and marijuana, as well as a loaded handgun.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Tyler McGaughey and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Peters are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-30.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.