Luzerne County Woman Convicted for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Asiana Christine Williams, age 30, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was convicted on August 13, 2024 for the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death following a 7-day trial before United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Williams was a drug dealer residing in Wilkes-Barre in 2020. On February 15, 2020, Williams sold a quantity of fentanyl to a woman who ingested the fentanyl and died within two hours of the sale. Williams was also found guilty of another sale of fentanyl that occurred on March 5, 2020, and for maintaining drug-involved premises at 76 Lockhart Street in Wilkes-Barre from December 2018 through May 2020.

During the seven-day trial, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office presented the testimony from approximately 24 witnesses, including expert witness testimony from a forensic pathologist, a forensic toxicologist, a medical toxicologist, a forensic cell phone examiner, and an expert in the field of cell site analysis.

The charges stem from a joint investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton, the Lehman Township Police Department, and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Kyle Moreno.

This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and fentanyl. Led by the United States Attorney's Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute for drug distribution resulting in death is life imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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