Northeast Fentanyl Smuggler, Dealer Sentenced to Over Three Decades in Federal Prison

A Waterloo man who smuggled fentanyl into the United States and distributed it in northeast Iowa has been sentenced to 37 years in federal prison. 

Prosecutors say, from January 2022 until December 2023, 44-year-old Javoni Butler, also known as “G Man,” traveled to Mexico several times to acquire, in total, over 10,000 fentanyl pills, plus a significant quantity of fentanyl powder.  

Butler also illegally possessed firearms and made credible threats of violence towards others, including threatening to kill his son over a drug‑related dispute.  Butler also directed drug activities of multiple individuals, including his girlfriend. 

Prosecutors say that in March 2023, a friend of Butler’s died from a fentanyl‑related overdose from pills acquired from Butler. In May 2023, a traffic stop and search of Butler’s vehicle recovered a backpack with almost $60,000. 

In December 2023, law enforcement searched Butler’s “stash” house and seized over 40 grams of fentanyl powder, a fentanyl pill, and a firearm.  Investigators say Butler told his girlfriend he was fleeing to either Mexico or Belize to avoid prosecution, but he was arrested in Texas before he could leave the country.

In September 2024, a jury verdict found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, one count of international money laundering, and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Thursday (08.14)  Butler was sentenced to 444 months’ imprisonment and to serve a five‑year term of supervised release after federal prison.           

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the FBI and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Waverly, Evansdale, Hudson, and La Porte City police departments, plus the Bremer and Black Hawk County Sheriff’s offices. Additional support came from the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and Homeland Security Investigations.