A San Fernando Valley man, Brian McDonald, has been sentenced to 20 years and eight months in federal prison for selling fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine on hidden internet marketplaces. McDonald pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, as well as possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He used aliases like “Malachai Johnson” and “SouthSideOxy” on dark web marketplaces to sell drugs in exchange for cryptocurrency. McDonald monitored vendor profiles, updated drug listings, and recruited others to help with packaging and shipping narcotics.
In texts, McDonald boasted of making large sales and expressed a goal of making 5 million dollars from the drug conspiracy. The money from fentanyl and cocaine sales, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, was converted from cryptocurrency into cash and stored at McDonald’s and his co-defendant’s residences. McDonald was also charged with possessing firearms, including two gold-plated handguns, to protect his drug business.
McDonald’s co-defendant, Ciara Clutario, is set to be sentenced in January. The two were charged in an eight-count indictment for their drug trafficking activities. The sentencing reflects a significant crackdown on illegal drug sales on the dark web, highlighting the dangers and consequences of participating in such criminal activities.
Source
Photo credit www.dailynews.com