News release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida
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, a fentanyl analogue, with the intent to distribute it, along with other controlled substances. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida John P. Heekin announced the sentence.
“This drug trafficker’s effort to put deadly substances on our streets has come to an end,” U.S. Attorney Heekin said. “He will now spend the foreseeable future in federal prison. Anyone who distributes drugs in my district should expect aggressive prosecution and significant penalties.”
According to court records, Williams fled from law enforcement on October 2, 2025, driving through several counties at speeds exceeding 120 mph. During the pursuit, officers saw cocaine and other controlled substances being thrown from the vehicle. Once the vehicle was stopped and Williams was taken into custody, investigators executed a search warrant at his Gainesville apartment. They found more than 156 grams of carfentanil, along with substances containing heroin, fentanyl, promethazine, codeine and cocaine. Authorities also recovered more than $55,000 in cash.Â
The Drug Enforcement Administration describes carfentanil in an Officer Safety Alert as a synthetic opioid originally created to sedate large animals, including elephants. The agency estimates that carfentanil is 10,000 times more powerful than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl.
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Evidence presented during sentencing also showed that Williams sold counterfeit “pressed” pills containing fentanyl to Elijah Brantley on June 24, 2024. Brantley then sold the pills to a person in Green Cove Springs, who died of an overdose the following day, June 25. Brantley faces a pending charge in the Middle District of Florida for distributing a controlled substance that resulted in a death and is presumed innocent.
“Carfentanil and other highly potent synthetic opioids represent a grave danger to our community,” Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya said. “This 25-year federal sentence demonstrates that people who distribute these deadly drugs will be held responsible.”
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 was part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative that combines federal resources to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent criminals.
