A California man was sentenced today to more than 20 years in federal prison for causing a fatal fentanyl overdose and selling hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine through darknet marketplaces, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California announced.
From April 2021 to May 2023, Brian McDonald, 23, of Van Nuys, conspired with others to distribute fentanyl and cocaine through darknet marketplaces, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.
McDonald created and managed vendor profiles on specific platforms, using aliases to sell illegal drugs in exchange for cryptocurrency, according to the department.
The department revealed that McDonald monitored and maintained his vendor profiles by updating drug listings, shipment options, and tracking orders.
He also offloaded Monero cryptocurrency, received as payments for drug sales, into cryptocurrency wallets that he controlled.
The department stated that McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, which he sold via the darknet. He oversaw hundreds of drug sales, including distributing over 12 kilograms of fentanyl, often in the form of fentanyl-laced pills.