Public Safety
Indio Pair Arrested in DOJ DarkNet Market Sweep
Nearly 300 people were arrested by the Justice Department for their involvement in the online selling of drugs and firearms in Operation SpecTor; two of those were residents of Indio.
The DOJ operation arrests and raids netted the seizure of 117 guns, 850 kilograms of drugs, and $53.4 million in online currencies. The investigation spanned several countries including the United States, Europe, and South America, according to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“And today, we have announced an unprecedented international enforcement action against drug traffickers on the dark web. The Justice Department, together with our American and international partners, will continue to disrupt and dismantle darknet markets,” said A.G. Garland.
Holly Adams and Devlin Hosner, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, as well as for conspiracy to launder money. U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced the charges against the duo back in May of 2022.
Court documents show that Adams and Hosner used dark web marketplaces ToRReZ and Dark0de to operate vendor accounts “igogrraawwr” and “its4real,” respectively. They sold tens of thousands of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl in exchange for cryptocurrency, which they shipped to buyers across the United States via U.S. Postal Service, UPS, and other delivery means. The operation was conducted from May 2021 to March 2022, and the duo finalized over 1,100 transactions of narcotics and other contraband, receiving more than $800,000 in cryptocurrency in the process.
In March 2022, federal law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a hotel in Riverside County where Adams and Hosner were staying, finding more than 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills and approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine.
The Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, consisting of Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, conducted the investigation leading to the indictment.
If convicted, Adams and Hosner each face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki. The charges against the defendants are only allegations, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
By: Ceci Partridge
May 3, 2023
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