BOSTON — Paul Williams, 54, of Medford, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to three years for his role in a sprawling oxycodone trafficking ring that pumped thousands of painkillers into North Shore communities. Williams was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr., with an additional three years of supervised release tacked on.
Williams pleaded guilty in March 2017 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone. The case unfolded from a 2014 investigation targeting Joseph Romano and eight co-defendants. Using surveillance and a cooperating source, federal agents conducted controlled buys of 30 mg. oxycodone pills, tracing the supply chain back to Williams and his co-conspirators Anthony Panarese and Jarod Presterone.
Romano acted as a central distributor, contacting each supplier approximately once a week to arrange deliveries. Eric Vaughn assisted Panarese in moving pills, while Romano himself distributed more than 5,000 oxycodone tablets over the course of the conspiracy. In May 2015, Romano enlisted Ashley Turner to handle distribution while he was on vacation—directing her to obtain pills from Paul Williams.
David Turner Sr., Ashley’s father, became a key go-between, retrieving oxycodone from Williams to feed the street-level operation. The scheme unraveled in August 2017 when federal agents raided Williams’ home, seizing 400 oxycodone 30 mg. pills and $23,350 in cash. Prosecutors held Williams accountable for the distribution of 1,678 pills.
Eight of the nine defendants have now been sentenced. Joseph Romano received four years; Anthony Panarese was sentenced to 46 months; Eric Vaughn got two years. Marcelle Milbury was sentenced to one year in prison, while David Turner Sr. received five years of probation. Ashley Turner, who completed the court’s RISE program, was given four years of probation with a six-month curfew. Sans Milbury, also a RISE graduate, received three years of probation. Jarod Presterone has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
The takedown was announced by United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling, DEA Boston Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Kerry Gilpin, and Danvers Police Chief Patrick M. Ambrose. Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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