Kalkaska County Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking in Case Tied to Fentanyl Overdose

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Robert Graham Ward, 43, from Rapid City, Michigan, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.

According to court records, on January 12, 2025, first responders responded to a 911 call at a hotel in Gaylord, Michigan and pronounced a 25-year-old man dead of a drug overdose.  A woman who was last with the decedent before his death cooperated with law enforcement and stated that she received the drugs the day before from Robert Graham Ward at his residence in Rapid City, Michigan.  Unbeknownst to Ward, investigators utilized the woman to order additional drugs from the defendant under police supervision. When Ward arrived, he was taken into custody.  Investigators found several grams of heroin and fentanyl in his car.  Investigators also executed a warrant at Ward’s Rapid City home and found over 21 grams of fentanyl.

Months after Ward was told that his fentanyl killed a man, and weeks after he was warned that he was the target of a federal drug trafficking investigation, a trooper with the Michigan State Police (MSP) stopped the defendant’s vehicle in Kalkaska County on April 4, 2025. Police searched Ward’s vehicle and found 5.69 grams of a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and xylazine, an animal tranquilizer resistant to naloxone, [1] 7.9 grams of methamphetamine, and other drugs.

“Fentanyl distribution has devastated communities large and small across our district,” stated U.S. Attorney VerHey.  “In this case, the defendant’s persistent drug dealing can be tied to the tragic loss of a 25-year-old. Our office remains steadfast in bringing to justice those responsible for endangering our citizens through drug dealing.”

“Fentanyl trafficking continues to threaten lives and destroy families throughout Michigan,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “This case underscores the dangers posed by drug traffickers who disregard the death and destruction they bring to our communities. HSI remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to investigate and disrupt narcotics networks, and to hold accountable those who endanger our communities with these lethal substances.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Straits Area Narcotics Enforcement (SANE), Traverse Narcotics Team (TNT), and Michigan State Police (MSP).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vito S. Solitro.