SANTA ANA, California
An Orange County man and South Los Angeles man were sentenced Monday to federal prison for supplying fentanyl-laced pills to a drug trafficking ring, according to officials.
The ring then sold these drugs to more than 1,000 customers nationwide via the dark web.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter sentencedAdan Ruiz, 27, of Garden Grove to 17 years, 11 months in federal prison. Judge Carter separately sentenced Omar Navia, 39, of South Los Angeles to 15 years in federal prison.
In imposing the sentences, Judge Carter called this case “the most sophisticated fentanyl distribution ring that this court has seen.”
Navia pleaded guilty on April 29 to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Ruiz pleaded guilty on June 3 to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of distribution of fentanyl.
Both defendants have been in federal custody since November 2023.
Navia and Ruiz admitted in plea agreements that between August 2021 and December 2022, they supplied fentanyl-laced pills to Michael Ta, 26, of Westminster, and Rajiv Srinivasan, 38, of Houston.
Ta and Srinivasan used the darknet and encrypted messaging apps to sell over 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills and other drugs to more than 1,000 customers nationwide, resulting in multiple fatal overdoses. Navia also admitted to supplying methamphetamine for their drug operation.
Srinivasan operated the “redlightlabs” account on darknet marketplaces, including “Dark0de,” to advertise and sell counterfeit M30 oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and other drugs.
Srinivasan used the encrypted messaging app Wickr to communicate with customers and sell drugs, receiving payments in virtual currency, which he routed through cryptocurrency exchanges.
Ta coordinated drug orders with Srinivasan, sourced fentanyl-laced pills and methamphetamine, stored the drugs at his residence, and mailed packages to customers who placed orders through Srinivasan’s “redlightlabs” account.
Between February and November 2022, Srinivasan and Ta conducted over 3,800 drug deals with approximately 1,400 customers across all 50 states.
Their sales included more than 123,000 fentanyl-laced M30 pills, 9 kilograms (20 pounds) of methamphetamine, nearly 300 grams of “China white” fentanyl powder and black tar heroin, and 27 grams of cocaine.
In their plea agreements, both admitted responsibility for the fentanyl overdose deaths of three victims and for supplying fentanyl-laced pills to two others, who also fatally overdosed shortly after receiving the drugs.
Ta pleaded guilty in August 2023 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and is serving a 260-month 21 years and eight months prison sentence.
Srinivasan pleaded guilty in June 2023 to the same charge and distributing fentanyl resulting in death, receiving a 19 year and seven month prison sentence.
The FBI investigated this matter. The United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregg E. Marmaro of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section prosecuted this case.