Heroin Dealer Sentenced For Role In Three Fairfax County Drug Deaths

A Washington, D.C. man has been sentenced to 30 years for his part in the deaths of three Fairfax County residents from heroin overdoses.

Eugene Asomani Williams, also known as “Shine,” 35, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Alexandria on Friday for conspiring to distribute heroin and possessing a firearm in furtherance of this offense. Prosecutors said at least three people died in Fairfax County as a result of heroin distributed by Williams.

“Williams peddled a dangerous drug and inflicted untold damage to the victims, their families, and our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente. “This case exemplifies the cooperative efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement to combat this pernicious crime.”

Williams pleaded guilty on Jan. 22 of this year to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of cocaine and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In a statement filed with the plea agreement, Williams admitted to distributing more than one kilogram of heroin in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia between 2004 and Sept. 26, 2013.

Williams also admitted that Joshua Pearson, 33, of Fairfax County; Timothy Huffman, 23, an active duty soldier at Fort Belvoir; and Kara Schachinger, 22, of Fairfax County. all died as a result of using heroin distributed by Williams, said Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring.

“I have heard firsthand from families about the devastation brought by the loss of a loved one in this wave of heroin-related deaths, and about the strain placed on law enforcement and healthcare professionals as they work to respond to it,” Herring said in a statement.

“Education, prevention and treatment will play a major part in dealing with this emerging threat, but I will also ensure that my office is doing all it can to keep these dangerous drugs, and those who distribute them, off the streets.”

Huffman, Pearson and Schachinger did not know each other, The Washington Post reported. They are linked only because they purchased drugs from Williams.

According to the Post, Williams sold throughout the D.C. area, generally charging $100 for a gram of heroin and meeting customers in the parking lots of gas stations, restaurants and churches, court records show. Schachinger and Huffman met Williams in person to buy their last doses; Pearson got his through a friend, the records show.

“Fairfax County is safer today thanks to the robust partnerships between local, state, and federal law enforcement” said Fairfax County Police Chief Colonel Edwin C. Roessler, Jr. “Today’s sentencing is proof positive these partnerships work against drug traffickers and others who set up criminal enterprises in our region.”