James Charles Rivera, a New York-based drug dealer operating under the alias “JuicePal” on the dark web, has been sentenced to eight years in prison following a money laundering operation using cryptocurrencies.
What Happened: According to a press release by the Department of Justice (DoJ), Rivera distributed illegal steroids across multiple U.S. states and international borders, making millions in the process.
The illicit steroid distribution operation, spearheaded by 32-year-old Rivera, operated from 2018 to 2021. Rivera, on the dark web, enlisted the help of various co-conspirators to produce and ship drugs to customers worldwide.
“The egregious criminal conspiracy attempted to utilize encrypted communications, cryptocurrencies, and an elaborate network of co-conspirators to obfuscate operational activity in the US and abroad,” stated Chad Plantz, the special agent in charge of homeland security investigations in San Diego.
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Why It Matters: The investigation into the complex global counterfeit steroid production and distribution network was a joint effort involving law enforcement agencies such as the US Postal Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration.
“This lengthy sentence is the result of an investigation into a complex global illicit counterfeit steroid production and distribution network that spanned several years, which concluded with the dismantlement of both the known US and British networks of operation,” added Plantz.
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