Anchorage federal court sentences Seattle woman to year in prison

Erika Rene Willers will spend 373 days in federal prison for supplying fentanyl to an Alaska drug ring. A judge in Anchorage handed her this sentence on Thursday, October 29, 2026. Willers, 29, also received three years of supervised release. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Federal prosecutors described Willers as a key supplier in the operation. She worked directly with Aaron Wayne Washington, the alleged ringleader. Willers moved narcotics from the Seattle area into Alaska. Court filings show she provided Washington with over 2,500 grams of fentanyl and roughly 13 grams of cocaine between March 2024 and March 2025.

Investigators tracked several courier trips arranged through Willers. In February 2025, co-defendant Kenneth DeGroff traveled to Seattle with $24,000. He bought roughly 850 grams of fentanyl from her. In early March 2025, authorities stopped Washington at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. His luggage contained nearly 1,500 grams of fentanyl. A shipping label on the package bore Willers' name.

Police searched Willers' Washington home on March 25, 2025. They seized 235 grams of fentanyl, cocaine, and thousands of dollars in cash. Both Willers and Washington were present during the search. Willers is one of several co-defendants in the federal indictment.

Co-defendant James Barber went to trial in April. A jury convicted him of conspiracy and attempted possession charges. Barber regularly picked up fentanyl-filled luggage from the Anchorage airport for Washington. He faces a potential life sentence in prison.