Sep 3: a federal grand jury in Dayton, Ohio, returned charges against dozens of defendants, including 
nationals and companies, in narcotics and money laundering conspiracies involving illegal cutting agents.
From at least 2022 until present, Eric Michael Payne served as a main supplier of illegal cutting agents to fentanyl traffickers operating in southern Ohio. Payne purchased several kilogram shipments of the cutting agents from multiple companies purporting to be online pharmacies and legitimate chemical companies.
It is believed that the US defendants purchased from the companies at least 10kg of fentanyl cutting agents, which, in turn, could yield more than 150 kilograms of fentanyl mixture bound for street-level sales in southern Ohio. The cutting agents included animal tranquilizers up to 200 times more powerful than morphine.
The companies used a series of Chinese foreign nationals located overseas to solicit, negotiate, and secure payments for illegal cutting agents from US customers. The foreign nationals generally directed US customers to pay for the cutting agents using cryptocurrency transferred to crypto wallets under the foreign national’s control for ultimate deposit into financial institutions located overseas.
Payne’s significant other, Auriyon Tresan Rayford, and Ciandrea Bryne Davis assisted Payne in transferring more than $60,000 in cryptocurrency to Chinese foreign nationals associated with the companies since 2022. Rayford also allowed illegal substances to be stored at her residence in Ohio.
All the defendants are charged with conspiring with intent to distribute 400g or more of fentanyl mixture and conspiring to launder money internationally. Payne is also charged with possessing with intent to distribute 400g or more of fentanyl mixture and tampering with evidence. Rayford is charged with maintaining a drug-involved premises.
The companies and nationals charged include:
Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Company Ltd,
Guanghzou Wanjiang Biotechnology Co Ltd,
Hebei Hongjun New Material Technology Co Ltd,
Hebei Feilaimi Technology Co Ltd,
Lihui Zhao,
FNU LNU a/k/a “Anna Sofia,”
Shanhong Jiang,
Yan Yang,
Fengdi Zhang,
Dehui Xia,
Xing Wu Chen,
Qing Lin Wang,
Xiaojun Huang,
Meixiang Yao,
Zhanpeng Huang,
Yuqing Feng,
Dongjing Sun,
Chengqi Nong,
Tiduo Wei,
Zhisong Nie,
Jichao Zhu,
Zhengzhe Yin,
Changgen Du,
Hongfei Wang,
Huatao Yao, and
Xuening Gao.
Concurrent with the charges brought against this network, 
Department of Treasury has imposed sanctions on one of these Chinese companies, Guangzhou Tengyue, and two of its representatives, Zhanpeng Huang and Xiaojun Huang, targeting them pursuant to Treasury’s counternarcotics authorities.
justice.gov/opa/pr/grand-j
nationals and companies, in narcotics and money laundering conspiracies involving illegal cutting agents.
From at least 2022 until present, Eric Michael Payne served as a main supplier of illegal cutting agents to fentanyl traffickers operating in southern Ohio. Payne purchased several kilogram shipments of the cutting agents from multiple companies purporting to be online pharmacies and legitimate chemical companies.
It is believed that the US defendants purchased from the companies at least 10kg of fentanyl cutting agents, which, in turn, could yield more than 150 kilograms of fentanyl mixture bound for street-level sales in southern Ohio. The cutting agents included animal tranquilizers up to 200 times more powerful than morphine.
The companies used a series of Chinese foreign nationals located overseas to solicit, negotiate, and secure payments for illegal cutting agents from US customers. The foreign nationals generally directed US customers to pay for the cutting agents using cryptocurrency transferred to crypto wallets under the foreign national’s control for ultimate deposit into financial institutions located overseas.
Payne’s significant other, Auriyon Tresan Rayford, and Ciandrea Bryne Davis assisted Payne in transferring more than $60,000 in cryptocurrency to Chinese foreign nationals associated with the companies since 2022. Rayford also allowed illegal substances to be stored at her residence in Ohio.
All the defendants are charged with conspiring with intent to distribute 400g or more of fentanyl mixture and conspiring to launder money internationally. Payne is also charged with possessing with intent to distribute 400g or more of fentanyl mixture and tampering with evidence. Rayford is charged with maintaining a drug-involved premises.
The companies and nationals charged include:
Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Company Ltd,
Guanghzou Wanjiang Biotechnology Co Ltd,
Hebei Hongjun New Material Technology Co Ltd,
Hebei Feilaimi Technology Co Ltd,
Lihui Zhao,
FNU LNU a/k/a “Anna Sofia,”
Shanhong Jiang,
Yan Yang,
Fengdi Zhang,
Dehui Xia,
Xing Wu Chen,
Qing Lin Wang,
Xiaojun Huang,
Meixiang Yao,
Zhanpeng Huang,
Yuqing Feng,
Dongjing Sun,
Chengqi Nong,
Tiduo Wei,
Zhisong Nie,
Jichao Zhu,
Zhengzhe Yin,
Changgen Du,
Hongfei Wang,
Huatao Yao, and
Xuening Gao.
Concurrent with the charges brought against this network, Department of Treasury has imposed sanctions on one of these Chinese companies, Guangzhou Tengyue, and two of its representatives, Zhanpeng Huang and Xiaojun Huang, targeting them pursuant to Treasury’s counternarcotics authorities.
justice.gov/opa/pr/grand-j