Fourth Defendant in the Drugpharmacist Case Pleads Guilty
~2 min read | Published on 2023-09-22, tagged Darkweb-Vendor, Pleaded-Guilty using 442 words.
A Los Angeles man admitted to being part of a five-member dark web drug trafficking operation linked to a heroin overdose death.
According to court documents, Adan Sepulveda, 30, and his accomplices Jerrell Eugene Anderson, Christopher Carion Van Holton, Kenneth Lashawn Hadley, and Jackie Walter Burns conspired in the distribution of large quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine. The quintet distributed the drugs through the "Drugpharmacist" and "RickandMortyShop" vendor profiles on the now-defunct marketplaces, Dream and Wall Street.
The investigators launched investigations into the operations of Drugpharmacist in June 2018. The investigations stemmed from the interception of a methamphetamine package addressed to an individual who told the investigators that he had purchased the drugs from Drugpharmacist.
The investigators established that Drugpharmacist's drug packages were in Tyvek Envelopes envelopes and their postage was paid for using an Easypost account. Inside the envelope, was a thank you note and drugs hidden in a stuffed animal. The USPS identified hundreds of drug packages destined for addresses across the US.
Following multiple undercover purchases and surveillance, the investigators established that Sepulveda and his co-conspirators operated out of rental properties. In the properties, the defendants prepared the drug packages according to orders received from Drugpharmacist and RickandMortyShop. They would then drop off the packages at post offices throughout Los Angeles for mailing to their buyers.
Surveillance footage at the post offices led to the identification of Sepulveda and his accomplices as the mailers of the drug packages. Sepulveda was linked to the mailing of a drug package whose contents the investigators believe resulted in the overdose death of one of Drugpharmacist's repeat customers.
The investigators arrested Sepulveda, Burns, and Anderson on March 14, 2019, after they left one of their stash houses. A search of the apartment resulted in the seizure of 128 grams of methamphetamine in a sealed bag, 25 grams of cocaine in a plastic container, and multiple packages of heroin. The investigators also seized a Glock pistol, a laptop, packaging and mailing materials, and stuffed animals.
The defendants were charged with multiple drug trafficking offenses in a nine-count indictment filed in March 2019.
Sepulveda's co-defendants, Hadly, Van Holton, and Burns pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
In January 2022, Van Holton was sentenced to two years and four months in prison. The sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
Hadly was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release in April 2022.
Burns avoided prison and was sentenced to a probation term of three years in June 2022.
On September 21, 2023, Sepulveda pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. His sentencing hearing will take place on November 30.
According to court documents, Adan Sepulveda, 30, and his accomplices Jerrell Eugene Anderson, Christopher Carion Van Holton, Kenneth Lashawn Hadley, and Jackie Walter Burns conspired in the distribution of large quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine. The quintet distributed the drugs through the "Drugpharmacist" and "RickandMortyShop" vendor profiles on the now-defunct marketplaces, Dream and Wall Street.
The investigators launched investigations into the operations of Drugpharmacist in June 2018. The investigations stemmed from the interception of a methamphetamine package addressed to an individual who told the investigators that he had purchased the drugs from Drugpharmacist.
The investigators established that Drugpharmacist's drug packages were in Tyvek Envelopes envelopes and their postage was paid for using an Easypost account. Inside the envelope, was a thank you note and drugs hidden in a stuffed animal. The USPS identified hundreds of drug packages destined for addresses across the US.
Following multiple undercover purchases and surveillance, the investigators established that Sepulveda and his co-conspirators operated out of rental properties. In the properties, the defendants prepared the drug packages according to orders received from Drugpharmacist and RickandMortyShop. They would then drop off the packages at post offices throughout Los Angeles for mailing to their buyers.
Surveillance footage at the post offices led to the identification of Sepulveda and his accomplices as the mailers of the drug packages. Sepulveda was linked to the mailing of a drug package whose contents the investigators believe resulted in the overdose death of one of Drugpharmacist's repeat customers.
The investigators arrested Sepulveda, Burns, and Anderson on March 14, 2019, after they left one of their stash houses. A search of the apartment resulted in the seizure of 128 grams of methamphetamine in a sealed bag, 25 grams of cocaine in a plastic container, and multiple packages of heroin. The investigators also seized a Glock pistol, a laptop, packaging and mailing materials, and stuffed animals.
The defendants were charged with multiple drug trafficking offenses in a nine-count indictment filed in March 2019.
Sepulveda's co-defendants, Hadly, Van Holton, and Burns pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
In January 2022, Van Holton was sentenced to two years and four months in prison. The sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
Hadly was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release in April 2022.
Burns avoided prison and was sentenced to a probation term of three years in June 2022.
On September 21, 2023, Sepulveda pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. His sentencing hearing will take place on November 30.
