Fentanyl Kingpin Woolard Gets 20 Years

SEATTLE – Bradley Woolard, 42, of Arlington, Washington, is headed to federal prison for two decades after being convicted of running a prolific fentanyl trafficking ring that saturated three Washington counties with counterfeit opioid pills. U.S. Attorney Nick Brown announced the sentence today, marking a significant blow to the flow of the deadly drug in the Pacific Northwest.

Woolard was convicted on 28 counts, including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, illegal gun possession, and possessing drugs with the intent to distribute. Co-defendants Anthony Pelayo, 34, of Marysville, received a 15-year sentence and a $150,000 fine last week, while Jerome Isham, 40, of Everett, was sentenced to 10 years. All three will face 5 years of supervised release after completing their prison terms.

“Mr. Woolard ignored the destruction his drug trafficking caused in our community, instead being driven by the enormous profits he could generate off the addiction and misery of others,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “Even after his arrest he tried to impose his will, threatening violence against others in the case, and acting as if he is above the law.” The investigation, spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Snohomish Regional Drug and Gang Task Force, revealed a sophisticated operation that leveraged the dark web to import fentanyl powder directly from China.

The case originated in the summer of 2018 with a raid on Woolard’s property. Investigators seized over 12,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills disguised as 30mg oxycodone, later confirmed to contain the dangerous analogue, furanyl fentanyl. Further searches uncovered a staggering $1 million in cash and gold hidden throughout Woolard’s five-acre compound – behind drywall, in ceilings, and even under a dishwasher. But the money was only part of the picture. A hidden room revealed an arsenal of 29 firearms, including assault rifles and silencers, alongside thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Testimony at trial showed Woolard began sourcing fentanyl and furanyl fentanyl powder from China in 2015 and 2016, learning the process through the dark web. He acquired a pill press and materials from common online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, effectively setting up a home-based pill manufacturing operation capable of producing over 2.5 million fentanyl pills. In 2017, Woolard handed the manufacturing reins to Pelayo, but continued to order the fentanyl and assist with distribution. Remarkably, Woolard continued to orchestrate the drug trafficking operation even while indulging in luxurious, $30,000-$50,000 monthly “treatment” stays at spa resorts in Costa Rica and Mexico, funded by the profits of his criminal enterprise.

Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division, hailed the case as an example of modern law enforcement. “This complex investigation, which involved aspects of the mysterious dark web, is an example of the innovation and cooperative law enforcement effort necessary to effectively reduce violent crime and overdoses in our cities,” he said. Woolard was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine, a paltry sum considering the devastation his operation wrought. The bust serves as a stark reminder of the escalating fentanyl crisis and the lengths to which traffickers will go to profit from addiction and death.

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