New Jersey man gets 12 years for fentanyl trafficking, used Bitcoin to pay suppliers

A Passaic County, New Jersey man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for his role in a major fentanyl trafficking and international money laundering conspiracy that used Bitcoin to pay overseas drug suppliers, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

William Panzera, 53, of North Haledon, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and international promotional money laundering. Prosecutors said he was part of a drug trafficking organization that imported and distributed hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues and other drugs, including MDMA, methylone, and ketamine.

The substances were sourced from suppliers in China and distributed across New Jersey, both in bulk and as counterfeit pharmaceutical pills that actually contained fentanyl analogues. Authorities said the conspiracy led to the importation of more than one metric ton of fentanyl-related substances and other drugs into the U.S. Members of the group allegedly sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to China through wire transfers and Bitcoin payments.

Panzera was found guilty at trial in January 2025. Eight other defendants tied to the case have already pleaded guilty, the DOJ said.

The case is part of a broader international crackdown on fentanyl trafficking and darknet drug markets. In May 2025, the DOJ announced the results of Operation RapTor, a global law enforcement effort targeting online opioid trafficking networks. The operation resulted in 270 arrests worldwide and the seizure of more than $200 million in cash and digital assets.

Authorities also confiscated over two metric tons of drugs, including 144 kilograms of fentanyl-laced substances, and more than 180 firearms. The investigation drew on intelligence from previously dismantled darknet markets such as Nemesis and Tor2Door and marked the first time sanctions from the Office of Foreign Assets Control were used in support of a JCODE operation.