GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Trai Williams, 28, of Gainesville, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing more than 100 grams of carfentanil—an analogue of fentanyl—with the intent to distribute it, along with other controlled substances. John P. Heekin, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“This drug trafficker’s days of flooding our streets with deadly poison are over, and the only thing he has to look forward to is a federal prison cell,” U.S. Attorney Heekin said. “Anyone caught peddling drugs in my district can expect aggressive prosecutions by my office and severe punishments.”
According to court records, Williams led police on a multi-county pursuit on October 2, 2025, reaching speeds above 120 mph. Officers said cocaine and other controlled substances were discarded from the vehicle during the chase. After the vehicle was stopped and Williams was taken into custody, investigators obtained a search warrant for his Gainesville apartment. The search uncovered more than 156 grams of carfentanil, substances containing heroin, fentanyl, promethazine, codeine and cocaine, as well as more than $55,000 in cash.
The Drug Enforcement Administration says carfentanil is a synthetic opioid originally created to tranquilize large animals, including elephants. In an Officer Safety Alert, the agency described the substance as approximately 10,000 times more powerful than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl.
Evidence presented during sentencing also showed that Williams sold counterfeit “pressed” pills containing fentanyl on June 24, 2024. The pills were later sold by Elijah Brantley to a person in Green Cove Springs, who died of an overdose the following day. Brantley faces a pending charge in the Middle District of Florida for distributing a controlled substance resulting in death and is presumed innocent.
KEEP READING: Alcohol returns to Saudi Arabia after 70 years, but not everyone can have a drink – NewsFinale
“Carfentanil and other powerful synthetic opioids pose a serious threat to our community,” Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya said. “This 25-year federal sentence sends a strong message that those who distribute these dangerous drugs will be held accountable.”
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gainesville Alachua County Drug Task Force, with support from the sheriff’s offices in Alachua, Hamilton, Columbia and Clay counties. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Hapner and James A. McCain handled the prosecution.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative that brings together federal resources to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from those responsible for violent crime.