Dajuan Williams and Multiple Others Sentenced in Nationwide Drug and Money Laundering Conspiracy

Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Dajuan Williams, 31, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced in the United States District Court on January 4, 2024, following his guilty plea to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 4 of the October 5, 2021 superseding indictment.

Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford sentenced Williams to 144 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 4-year term of supervised release. The Court also ordered Williams to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $600,034.09.

According to court records, Williams, who is the lead defendant in this 11-defendant case, supervised a well-organized nationwide drug trafficking business that distributed vast quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs for profit. Some of the drugs involved were fentanyl pills created to resemble prescription opiate medications. Williams also supervised the laundering of drug proceeds via cash deposits into bank accounts followed by the transfer of proceeds using a variety of methods, including mobile payment services such as Cash App, Zelle, and Venmo. Williams’s business had locations across the country, including in Burlington, Vermont; Bismarck, North Dakota; and Billings, Montana. To staff these locations, Williams recruited workers and directed them where to go and what to do. The business relied on complicated logistics to obtain drugs from suppliers, transport them across the country, and distribute them to customers. At times, Williams tested drugs on customers to determine which product was favored. On the financial side, Williams micro-managed on-the-ground distribution, checking in with his workers and frequently demanding the “count” – an accounting of drugs sold and money earned. Earnings of over a million dollars were returned to bank accounts controlled by Williams. Williams laundered drug proceeds, enriched himself, and surrounded himself with the trappings of affluence: cars, cash, clothes, jewelry, houses. Among the cars Williams purchased with his illegally-obtained wealth were a black 2016 Maserati Ghibli; a white 2017 Audi A7; and a grey 2017 BMW X6. Before his arrest on January 13, 2021, in Los Angeles, California, Williams was living in a mansion that rented for approximately $15,000 per month perched high in the hills of Los Angeles under the Hollywood sign.

To date, nine of Williams’ co-defendants have pleaded guilty to federal charges and have been sentenced. The following summarizes the results of this multi-defendant drug trafficking and money laundering case:

• Juwon Robinson: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges described in count 1 of the indictment. Sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
• Dashawn Pulley: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 4 of the superseding indictment. Sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release resolving federal charges in Vermont and North Dakota.
• Jaylinn Lenoir: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges described in count 1 of the indictment. Sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
• Rendell Perkins: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges described in count 1 of the indictment. Sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
• Mohamed Luhizo: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 12 of the indictment. Sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
• Stephen Alexander: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 2 of an information. Sentenced to 32 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
• Juan Orozco-Hernandez: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 2 of a superseding information. Sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
• Abigail Houston: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges described in count 1 of the superseding indictment. Sentenced to 5 years’ probation.
• Javonte Sovey: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 4 of the superseding indictment. Sentenced to 1 year and 1 day of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release and now participating in federal Reentry Court in Vermont.
• Jessica Elwell: Pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges described in counts 1 and 4 of the superseding indictment. Sentencing scheduled for March 8, 2024.

The sentencing of Williams and his co-defendants follows a twelve-month investigation conducted by state and federal agencies which was led by Homeland Security Investigations. HSI was assisted in this investigation by agents from IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, troopers from the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force, the Burlington Police Department, and the South Burlington Police Department. The coordinated law enforcement effort focusing on Williams and his drug trafficking organization was conducted as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest praised the coordinated work of law enforcement in this year-long investigation and also thanked all of the United States Attorney’s Offices across the country who assisted, with specific credit to federal prosecutors in Maine, North Dakota, and the Central District of California for their assistance. “Dajuan Williams and his co-defendants spread deadly drugs throughout the Burlington, Vermont area as well as several other small cities across the United States. The focus of the organization was on profit without a care for the addicted victims of Williams’ illegal business. Multiple law enforcement agencies, led by HSI and IRS-CI, worked with focus and determination and have now successfully dismantled Williams’ organization. While we recognize the importance of prevention and treatment and rehabilitation, this office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to prosecute those who seek to profit off of the addiction of their fellow community members.” 

“Dajuan Williams was responsible for spreading misery and poison throughout our region,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of HSI New England. “HSI is proud to have collaborated with our local, state, and federal partners in Vermont and beyond to put an end to Williams’s crime spree, which included the trafficking of deadly fentanyl and other dangerous drugs.”

The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Boscia. Chandler Matson, Esq. represents Dajuan Williams. Ernest Allen, Esq. represented Juwon Robinson. Stephanie Greenlees, Esq. represented Dashawn Pulley. Jordana Levine, Esq. represented Jaylinn Lenoir. Robert Behrens, Esq. represented Rendell Perkins. Richard Bothfeld, Esq. represented Mohamed Luhizo. Kevin Henry, Esq. represented Stephen Alexander. Frederic Warner, Esq. and Richard Goldsborough, Esq. represented Juan Orozco-Hernandez. Allan Sullivan, Esq. represented Abigail Houston. Gregory Mertz, Esq. represented Javante Sovey. Michael Turndorf, Esq. represents Jessica Elwell.