Fentanyl Vendor "Fent4U" Found Guilty
~1 min read | Published on 2023-06-16, tagged Darkweb-Vendor, Fentanyl using 221 words.
A federal grand jury in Texas convicted a dark web opioids vendor accused of distributing fentanyl that caused an overdose death of multiple drug trafficking offenses following a four-day trial.
After deliberating for four hours, the jury found 55-year-old Sean Shaughnessy guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue, and distribution of controlled substances, concerning his distribution of fentanyl and other opioids through the "Fent4U" vendor profile on multiple darknet marketplaces. The jury also convicted him of possession of child pornography.
The jury filed an eleven-count indictment against Shaughnessy in April 2019. According to the indictment, Shaughnessy engaged in the distribution of fentanyl, carfentanil, and fentanyl analogues, through dark web markets from at least August 2017.
The defendant's customers testified during the trial and claimed that the drugs they received were highly potent. One of the buyers allegedly overdosed and died after he ingested a fentanyl analogue he had purchased from Shaughnessy.
An undercover agent involved in the undercover operation that identified and arrested Shaughnessy told the court that to cash out the proceeds of his drug trafficking operation, Shaughnessy unknowingly sent more than $120,000 in bitcoin to the investigators. The investigators in return mailed cash to the defendant's residence.
Shaughnessy faces a maximum sentence of 80 years in federal prison.
After deliberating for four hours, the jury found 55-year-old Sean Shaughnessy guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue, and distribution of controlled substances, concerning his distribution of fentanyl and other opioids through the "Fent4U" vendor profile on multiple darknet marketplaces. The jury also convicted him of possession of child pornography.
The jury filed an eleven-count indictment against Shaughnessy in April 2019. According to the indictment, Shaughnessy engaged in the distribution of fentanyl, carfentanil, and fentanyl analogues, through dark web markets from at least August 2017.
The defendant's customers testified during the trial and claimed that the drugs they received were highly potent. One of the buyers allegedly overdosed and died after he ingested a fentanyl analogue he had purchased from Shaughnessy.
An undercover agent involved in the undercover operation that identified and arrested Shaughnessy told the court that to cash out the proceeds of his drug trafficking operation, Shaughnessy unknowingly sent more than $120,000 in bitcoin to the investigators. The investigators in return mailed cash to the defendant's residence.
Shaughnessy faces a maximum sentence of 80 years in federal prison.
