{"id":51657,"date":"2022-12-16T17:23:37","date_gmt":"2022-12-17T01:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=51657"},"modified":"2022-12-16T17:23:37","modified_gmt":"2022-12-17T01:23:37","slug":"two-indicted-for-using-darknet-and-encrypted-messaging-to-sell-120000-fentanyl-laced-pills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=51657","title":{"rendered":"Two Indicted for Using Darknet and Encrypted Messaging to Sell 120,000 Fentanyl-Laced Pills"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0LOS ANGELES\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"A federal grand jury indicted two men who allegedly used the darknet and encrypted messaging applications to sell over 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills and other drugs to thousands of customers across the country, officials stated.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The 19-count indictment charges Rajiv Srinivasan, 37, of Houston, and Michael Ta, 24, of Westminster, with a conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Both defendants allegedly distributed and possessed drugs with the intent to distribute.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0According to the indictment, Srinivasan operated the account \u201credlightlabs\u201d on the darknet, including the site \u201cDark0de.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"He allegedly used the redlightlabs account to advertise and sell counterfeit M30 oxycodone pills containing fentanyl.<\/span><\/p>\n

Srinivasan also allegedly used the encrypted messaging application Wickr to communicate with and sell drugs to customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Srinivasan allegedly received virtual currency as payment for the drugs and then routed that virtual currency through cryptocurrency exchanges.<\/span><\/p>\n

The indictment alleges that Ta communicated with Srinivasan about drug orders, obtained fentanyl-laced pills and methamphetamine from sources of supply, stored those drugs in his residence, and mailed out packages with drugs to customers who had ordered them from Srinivasan.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"redThe indictment alleges that between February and November 2022, Srinivasan and Ta sold over 7,000 pills to a person they believed was a drug customer.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, he was an undercover law enforcement agent. In addition, Srinivasan and Ta allegedly maintained a shared electronic document that detailed approximately 3,800 drug transactions to approximately 1,500 unique customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That database documented sales between May and November 2022 totaling approximately 123,188 fentanyl pills, over 143 kilograms of methamphetamine, and smaller amounts of fentanyl powder, black tar heroin, and cocaine, according to the indictment.<\/span><\/p>\n

FBI agents arrested both defendants last month under a criminal complaint.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Srinivasan is being jailed without bond and taken to the Central District of California from Houston.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ta was released on bond and is scheduled for arraignment next week.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both defendants are facing life in prison. They are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.<\/span><\/p>\n

The FBI investigated this matter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Assistant United States Attorney Gregg E. Marmaro of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting this case.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Southern District of Texas provided substantial assistance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0The FBI-led Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement Team (JCODE), which targets darknet vendors, investigated this case.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since its inception in 2018, JCODE investigations have arrested more than 300 darknet drug traffickers.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Team seized more than $42 million in drug-tainted proceeds, over 800 kilograms of narcotics, and approximately 145 firearms.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0LOS ANGELES\u00a0 A federal grand jury indicted two men who allegedly used the darknet and encrypted messaging applications to sell over 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills and other drugs…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32005,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-department-of-justice"],"yoast_head":"\nTwo Indicted for Using Darknet and Encrypted Messaging to Sell 120,000 Fentanyl-Laced Pills<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0LOS ANGELES\u00a0 A federal grand jury indicted two men who allegedly used the darknet and encrypted messaging applications to sell over 120,000\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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