Ben Handley, a 25-year-old from Homer, Alaska, admitted selling illegally modified Glocks over the internet, according to a recently submitted plea agreement. The government accused him of using the darkweb and “darkweb email addresses” to ship all least 12 illegally modified firearms to one or more customers in the United States.
A part-time taxi driver in the Netherlands faces up to four years in prison for selling drugs and firearms on Alphabay and other darkweb marketplaces. Officials revealed in court that the man had sold marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, and nine firearms. The vendor argued that he had never filled an order and had simply scammed his customers.
A Merced, California, couple admitted selling cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana through the darkweb. The couple pleaded guilty to a violation of the Travel Act, using the mail and internet to distribute controlled substances, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
At a district court in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, twelve suspects are facing charges for operating a massive drug trafficking network through the darkweb, according to a spokesperson. The 12 suspects, along with as many as eight unidentified co-conspirators, allegedly sold more than one million euros worth of marijuana through Dream Market and other darkweb markets.
Sam Bent, 33, of Saint Johnsbury, Vermont was sentenced to five years in prison for selling controlled substances on the darkweb under the username “2HappyTimes2” and for three counts of money laundering in connection with the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Lawrence Ross, a convicted felon from Bayshore, New York, faces charges for allegedly selling methamphetamine and ecstasy on various darkweb markets under the username Gladyman. According to court documents, Ross also distributed drugs through the encrypted messaging application Wickr.
Richard Castro, the man behind a number of darkweb vendor accounts on Alphabay and Dream Market, admitted selling carfentanil, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogues to customers throughout the United States using the darkweb. He also admitted money laundering more than $4 million in proceeds from his drug trafficking operation.
Hugh Brian Haney, according to a criminal complaint unsealed on July 18, sold oxycodone and other substances on the Silk Road marketplace in 2011 and 2012. When Haney attempted to cash out $19 million in bitcoin through an exchange, the exchange froze his account. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated and identified the Silk Road as the source of Haney’s bitcoin.
One of the two co-conspirators accused of operating the darkweb market vendor account “TheDrugLlama” admitted distributing fentanyl, selling midbranded drugs, and other charges related to the drug distribution conspiracy. His co-defendant pleaded not guilty and will face a jury trial in August.
The active phishing campaigns impacting the users of the larger darkweb marketlaces have also been hurting the customers of darkweb vendors operating their own shops. One prolific vendor, DutchDrugz, posted a warning to customers and potential customers.