WASHINGTON — A 20-year-old man from Alexandria, Va., was sentenced Thursday to 108 months in federal prison for his role in a large-scale narcotics trafficking operation, which involved smuggling fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills from Southern California to the District of Columbia, authorities said. Trayveon James Johnson, also known as “Treyski,” was one of 24 individuals charged in the drug conspiracy.
U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced Johnson after he pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Johnson’s sentence includes five years of supervised release following his prison term, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Prosecutors said Johnson was part of a trafficking network that obtained fentanyl pills from Southern California and transported them to the D.C. area. The drugs were smuggled in luggage, personal items, or sent through commercial mail carriers. Johnson collaborated with D.C.-based associates to redistribute the drugs, court documents show.
The investigation into the trafficking ring began after the overdose death of Diamond Lynch, a mother in Southeast D.C., which led authorities to uncover the broader operation. Federal agents have since seized over 450,000 fentanyl pills, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 30 firearms connected to the network, officials said.
Despite being aware of fentanyl’s dangers, Johnson continued his involvement in the conspiracy. Investigators cited a December 2022 text exchange where he discussed the availability of “blues,” a street term for fentanyl-laced pills. One of his co-conspirators, Mathias Tsegaye, died of a fentanyl overdose in January 2023, according to court filings.