Norwich Man Sentenced In 'Dark Web' Fake Xanax Case: Feds

NORWICH, CT — A 34-year-old Norwich man was sentenced in federal court in Hartford Thursday to three years of probation for his role in "conspiring to manufacture counterfeit Xanax tablets and anabolic steroids, and distribute the controlled substances on the dark web," announced United States Attorney John H. Durham.

Additionally, Jason Chen also must serve the first three months of that sentence in home confinement.

The day before Chen was sentenced to probation, U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson sentenced another defendant in the case, William Fusco, 34, of Philadelphia, PA, to 20 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

According to Durham, court documents and statements:

Fusco marketed counterfeit Xanax tablets and anabolic steroid pills on dark web forums such as Alphabay. Fusco paid Chen to maintain two pill presses at Chen’s residence and help Fusco manufacture and distribute the counterfeit Xanax and steroids to Fusco’s customers. Fusco arranged to have chemicals needed to produce Xanax and steroids shipped to Chen’s residence. On several occasions, Fusco traveled to Chen’s home to mix chemicals and press chemicals, including Alprazolam powder into Xanax pills.

Fusco sent Chen emails that indicated the product, quantity, and mailing address of each customer, as well as a link for Chen to click on to get a prepaid shipping label that corresponded to the order. Chen packaged the controlled substances, printed the prepaid shipping labels, applied the labels onto the corresponding packages, and then dropped the packages into various blue U.S. Postal Service collection boxes. For several months, Chen shipped approximately 30 packages per week. Fusco paid Chen between $10 and $20, in Bitcoin, for each package.

A court-authorized search of Chen’s residence revealed two industrial pill tableting machines, tool and dye molds, one electric powder mixer/hopper, approximately 65,122 Xanax tablets, approximately 792 grams of Alprazolam powder, approximately 12,000 steroid capsules, more than 321/100ml liquid steroid vials, and approximately $8,900 in cash.

Fusco was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on June 16, 2017. On that date, a court-authorized search of his residence revealed tool and dye molds, electronic scales, chemistry equipment, pill capsules, steroid bottle caps, other items used to process and package controlled substances, $42,448 in cash, eight firearms, and ammunition.

In December 2017, Fusco and Chen each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances, and one count of possession of a tableting machine or any equipment used to manufacture a controlled substance. In pleading guilty, they admitted that they conspired to distribute more than 213,000 counterfeit Xanax tablets and thousands of units of anabolic steroids.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Richards.

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