Washington, DC / Cleveland, Ohio — In a first-of-its kind federal judgment holding an illicit fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking organization responsible for an American’s death, a federal judge has issued a $30 million judgment against the Zheng drug trafficking organization (DTO) in response to a lawsuit filed by Families Against Fentanyl founder Jim Rauh and his family for the wrongful death of his son Tommy from fentanyl poisoning. Combined with a 2023 judgment in state court, the Rauh family has now been awarded a total judgment of $48 million.
The announcement comes as President Biden directed federal agencies to prioritize disrupting the supply of illicit fentanyl, a move Families Against Fentanyl has long advocated for. It also comes as the US announced the arrests of two alleged leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, a major Mexican cartel which has reportedly been trafficking fentanyl in collaboration with the Zheng DTO.
If the awarded funds are recovered, the Rauh family has pledged to dedicate proceeds to addressing the fentanyl crisis through their non-profit, Families Against Fentanyl, a leading voice for fentanyl awareness. The organization has released groundbreaking research on the crisis, advocates for bipartisan solutions to save American lives, and launched public awareness campaigns including billboards and a new public service awareness video. Members of the public can learn more at FamiliesAgainstFentanyl.org. Media organizations interested in airing the PSA may download the file here.
“Our son Tommy was stolen from us. He never stood a chance against the incredibly potent fentanyl provided by the Zheng cartel. America is losing 200 people a day to this poison – that’s a death every 7 minutes. To save lives, we must stop the foreign manufacturers and traffickers of illegal fentanyl and hold them accountable. In Tom’s memory, our family is committed to doing our part,” said Jim Rauh, an Akron, Ohio based business owner and founder of the non-profit Families Against Fentanyl. “We want to save other families from the deep and unending pain of losing a loved one to fentanyl poisoning. If we can recover assets from the Zheng cartel, proceeds will be dedicated to saving American lives and ending the fentanyl crisis through our non-profit, Families Against Fentanyl
Jim Rauh’s son Thomas “Tommy” Rauh was prescribed opioids by a doctor after a rollerblading accident. Like so many other people in Ohio and across the country, Tommy became addicted to prescription opioids. He eventually moved to using heroin. As Jim Rauh testified in court proceedings, Tommy “battled his disease with the heart of a lion” and was proud to work with his father at the family business. Despite his best efforts to overcome addiction, Tommy died in 2015 while attempting to take an injection that, unbeknownst to him, contained acetyl fentanyl from China. That acetyl fentanyl was produced and sold by the Zheng drug trafficking organization, sent by mail directly to a dealer in Ohio. The acetyl fentanyl in the injection was so potent that Thomas lost consciousness and died before even being able to complete the injection.
The U.S. Department of Justice criminally indicted the Zhengs in Tommy’s death and operating a conspiracy that manufactured and shipped deadly fentanyl analogues and 250 other drugs to at least 25 countries and 37 states. However, the Chinese failed to arrest the Zhengs, who remain wanted by the U.S. government (see Wanted Poster for Fujing Zheng) with a reward of up to $5 million offered.
Unsatisfied, the Rauh family decided to pursue civil action to hold the Zhengs accountable and pursue their assets in hopes of disrupting their deadly operations. In 2020, they filed suit in Ohio state court and in the spring of 2023 were awarded $18,000,000, plus attorneys’ fees, court costs, and interest— the maximum punitive damages allowed under Ohio law. In November 2023, Rauh filed a lawsuit in federal court to reach Zheng DTO assets that may be held outside Ohio and/or may be seized by the United States. In July, Chief Judge Sara Loi of United States District Court Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division entered judgment in favor of Rauh and against the defendants on three wrongful death and survivorship claims and awarded Rauh damages in the amount of $30,000,000 plus attorneys’ fees and costs. Rauh was represented by Frost Brown Todd LLP.”
Further background:
2015: In Akron, Ohio Thomas Rauh died from fentanyl poisoning as a result of street drugs that unbeknownst to him consisted of highly lethal acetyl fentanyl shipped from China.
2018: In August 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio unsealed a 43- count indictment charging defendants Fujing Zheng and Guanghua Zheng with operating the Zheng DTO conspiracy. The indictment charged that the Zheng DTO was responsible for Thomas’s death. The criminal case remains open, and no verdict has been entered on the charges. The Zhengs reportedly remain active with operations in Mexico.
2019: In April 2019 60 Minutes reported that U.S. officials had briefed Chinese authorities on the evidence, but the Chinese failed to act. The Zhengs continued to live freely in China, where a 60 Minutes producer confronted the elder Zheng on the streets of Shanghai. Chinese authorities have not moved against the indicted individuals who remain at large.
In August 2019, the U.S. Treasury Department designated the Zheng Cartel, its leader Fujing Zheng, and his father Guanghua Zheng as violators of the Kingpin Act.
2020: In 2020, James Rauh filed suit in Ohio state court against the Zheng drug trafficking and manufacturing organization for their role in the death of his son Thomas from fentanyl poisoning, and in the enormous spike in fentanyl-related deaths in the United States.
In November 2020, Fox News reported that the Zhengs had moved operations to Mexico and were operating continued operations as “the largest presence in Mexico for the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine,” in collaboration with multiple cartels, including the Sinaloa cartel.
April 2023: In April 2023, the Ohio court awarded $18 million, the maximum punitive damages allowed under Ohio law. In recommending the original state court judgment of $18 million, the maximum punitive damages allowed under Ohio law, Summit County Magistrate Judge Kandi S. O’Connor wrote, “After a review of the testimony and evidence presented, this Court finds that Defendants are responsible and liable for the wrongful death of Tommy Rauh. The Court further finds that the Defendants acted with conscious disregard and malice for their actions in relation to the wrongful death of Rauh.” O’Connor also noted in her decision that she would have awarded greater punitive damages if not limited by caps under Ohio law, writing that “this punitive damage award is inadequate.”
November 2023: On November 22, 2023, Rauh filed a lawsuit in federal court in order to reach Zheng DTO assets that may be held outside Ohio and/or may be seized by the United States. Rauh was represented by Frost Brown Todd LLP.
July 2024: Earlier this month, Chief Judge Sara Loi of United States District Court Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division entered judgment in favor of Rauh and against the defendants on three wrongful death and survivorship claims and awarded Rauh damages in the amount of $30,000,000 and attorneys’ fees and costs in the amount of $41,391.
The defendants in Rauh’s lawsuit, all designated as foreign narcotics traffickers by U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, are part of the Zheng Drug Trafficking Organization (“Zheng DTO”), “a global criminal conspiracy involving the manufacture and distribution of illegal narcotics.
On July 25, 2024, two alleged leaders of the Sinaloa cartel were arrested By US authorities.
Today: The Zhengs remain wanted (see Wanted Poster for Fujing Zheng) and the U.S. Department of State is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Fujing Zheng, a/k/a “Gordon Jin,” “Gordon Zheng,” and “Gao Deng.”
If you have information, please contact the DEA at +1-323-761-0481 via phone/text/WhatsApp, or by email at [email protected]. If you are located outside of the United States, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If in the United States, please contact the local Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office in your city.
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