Minnesota State Wire

Robiel Lee Williams has been sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release for his involvement in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.

“Drug dealers are endlessly creative in finding new ways to smuggle their deadly poison into Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Williams and his co-conspirators hid their deadly fentanyl in stuffed animals—literally children’s toys. We should all be appalled. Williams will rightly spend the next decade in federal prison.”

Court documents indicate that between August 2022 and December 2023, Williams, aged 25, along with several others, conspired to distribute fentanyl across the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota. As part of their operation, they traveled to Phoenix to acquire fentanyl pills from suppliers, concealed the drugs inside stuffed animals, and mailed them to various addresses in the Twin Cities area.

A joint investigation by law enforcement agencies in Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties led to the discovery and seizure of six packages containing more than 30,000 grams of fentanyl pills. Fingerprints belonging to Williams and several co-defendants were found on these packages.

Williams was sentenced on June 30, 2025, at the U.S. District Court before Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan who handed down the sentence.

The case resulted from an investigation conducted by multiple agencies including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigation, Dakota County Drug Task Force, Washington County Drug Task Force, and Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted this case.