Two Guilty in International Fentanyl Trafficking and Money Laundering Scheme

Drug trafficking organization imported hundreds of kilograms of deadly substances; Sentencing set for May 2025.

Two Essex County residents, Thomas Padovano, 50, and Bartholomew Padovano, 72, have admitted their roles in a sprawling drug trafficking and money laundering operation responsible for importing and distributing vast quantities of fentanyl analogs, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. The pair pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to charges of drug trafficking conspiracy and international promotional money laundering conspiracy.

A Six-Year Scheme of Dangerous Proportions

From January 2014 to September 2020, the Padovanos and other members of their drug trafficking organization orchestrated the importation and distribution of controlled substances, including fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, methylone, and ketamine. The operation relied on orders placed with a supplier in China and targeted New Jersey as a key distribution point.

The drugs were distributed in bulk and disguised as counterfeit pharmaceutical pills, many of which contained potent fentanyl analogs, significantly exacerbating the opioid crisis. The defendants also engaged in financial transactions to obscure the origins of more than $500,000 in drug proceeds, further complicating law enforcement efforts to dismantle the operation.

Severe Penalties Loom

The charges carry significant penalties:

• Thomas Padovano faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $10 million for the drug trafficking conspiracy charge.
• Bartholomew Padovano faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years, with a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million for the same charge.
• Both defendants face up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for the money laundering conspiracy charge.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 6, 2025.

Multi-Agency Effort to Combat Organized Crime

The case was the result of a robust investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, with assistance from HSI Philadelphia, the FBI Newark Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Newark Police Department, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger praised the multi-agency collaboration that dismantled this organization.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra, and Trial Attorney Stephen Sola, Chief of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit.

A Broader Crackdown Under OCDETF

This case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program, which uses a multi-agency approach to identify, disrupt, and dismantle high-level criminal organizations. The program focuses on prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven strategies to combat the most dangerous criminal enterprises.

Additional information about OCDETF can be found at justice.gov/OCDETF.

As the opioid epidemic persists, cases like this highlight the urgent need for ongoing vigilance and coordinated law enforcement efforts to stem the flow of deadly substances into communities.