The co-admin of an online drug distribution network is now in prison. He was sentenced to five years for his role in the criminal activity. Although this is the first time a member of the network has been jailed, it isn’t the first time the site has run into trouble. As with the other major online networks, the site has been accused of a variety of illegal activities, and its members have been convicted of crimes.
DeepDotWeb
One of the co administrators of the DeepDotWeb website, Tal Prihar, has been sentenced to 97 months in prison. He was convicted of running a money laundering scheme on the Dark Web.
The DeepDotWeb site was created in 2013. It acted as a platform to help internet users discover illegal marketplaces. Users could also buy hacking tools, illicit drugs, firearms, and stolen financial data. In exchange for providing links to these dark web markets, the website’s owner, Prihar, would receive commissions.
During the investigation, law enforcement officials from several countries, including the United States, France, Germany, and the Internal Revenue Service, worked together to investigate the DeepDotWeb website. They claim that the site’s owners, Prihar and Michael Phan, earned profits by directing visitors to illegal marketplaces.
According to the prosecution, Prihar received millions in kickbacks for linking Darknet marketplaces to the DeepDotWeb website. Prihar then transferred the payments to bank accounts he controlled.
AmpNode
The FBI’s anti-booter crackdown has caught up with AmpNode co-administrator Juan Martinez. A former customer of Gatrel’s, Martinez was arrested last month and accused of assisting in the administration of the DownThem website, a gimmick that allowed customers to launch multiple simultaneous attacks with the aid of powerful servers associated with the bulletproof hosting service.
According to the prosecutors, the site was a “distributed denial of service platform” that let cyber criminals carry out more than 200,000 cyber attacks. Users targeted schools, government websites, financial institutions, and homes.
Among other things, the site offered a wide range of subscription plans that could be customized to the individual’s budget and attack needs. It also made use of pre-configured DDoS attack scripts that were ready to go.
The site even touted its ability to deliver a DDoS attack in the event of a server failure. Unfortunately for the site’s users, the site isn’t still online.
Drug distribution network
A drug distribution network co-administrator has been sentenced to federal prison for his involvement in a massive drug trafficking operation. He was one of 78 people charged with roles in two major drug distribution networks in Central New York.
Salvador Barrera, Jr. is 27 years old. When he was arrested, he had three kilograms of cocaine and $36,000 in cash. The money went to federal investigators. In addition to the narcotics, he also had a loaded 40-caliber Sig Sauer handgun.
Drew Wilson Crandall, 29, was a co-administrator of a drug trafficking network based on the dark web. He was convicted of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and alprazolam.
Katherine Lauren Anne Bustin was convicted of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and receiving illegal narcotics. She was part of Aaron Shamo’s dark web drug trafficking organization.
Michael Pupello was a leader in the “Pupello Group,” a cocaine trafficking organization headquartered in Central New York. He supplied drugs to numerous drug dealers in Onondaga County. His drug supply included fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.
