LI Man Charged With Selling Meth, Ecstasy Through Dark Web: Feds

BRENTWOOD, NY - A Brentwood drug dealer was arrested for distributing ecstacy and methamphetamine (meth) on the dark web, the U.S. attorney announced on Thursday.

Lawrence Ross, 39, was charged with conspiring to distribute, and distributing, more than 10 kilograms of ecstasy and more than 45 grams of methamphetamine, the U.S. attorney said. He went before United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay, who ordered him detained.

According to the criminal complaint, Ross allegedly sold controlled substances on the dark web from November 2018 to the present.

He communicated with customers using the Wickr encrypted messaging application, distributed the drugs through the U.S. mail, and accepted the Bitcoin cryptocurrency as payment, the U.S. attorney said.

The investigation began when a parcel containing ecstasy was seized by the Postal Inspection Service and was traced to Ross, the U.S. attorney said.

An undercover postal inspector began purchasing controlled substances from Ross at screen name “Gladyman” through various dark web marketplaces, the U.S. attorney said.

He advertised on his “Gladyman” dark web profile that customers could contact him via the Wickr at screen name “Sweettooth80,” and the undercover postal inspector began communicating with Ross using Wickr.

"Drug traffickers who believe they will escape detection by using the dark web, encrypted messaging applications and cryptocurrency should understand that they are not anonymous, their activities will be uncovered, and they will be prosecuted," U.S. attorney Richard Donoghue said.

On May 31, using Wickr, the postal inspector ordered 100 ecstasy pills from Ross at screen name "Sweettooth80" and transferred $1,000 worth of Bitcoin to Ross’s digital wallet, the U.S. attorney said.

Several hours later, at the Islip Post Office, Ross mailed 33 packages, including one addressed to the postal inspector’s undercover name, according to the complaint.

That package was seized and contained 100 pills that tested positive for ecstasy, according to the U.S. attorney said.

On June 5, the postal inspector used Wickr again to order five grams of crystal meth from Ross at the same screen name, according to the U.S. attorney.

The postal inspector then transferred $228.17 worth of Bitcoin to Ross’s digital wallet and he mailed 61 packages at the Bay Shore Post Office, including a package addressed to the postal inspector’s undercover name, the U.S. attorney said.

The package was seized by postal inspectors and contained five grams of a substance that tested positive for crystal meth, the U.S. attorney said.

A search warrant was executed at Ross’s home on Wednesday and postal inspectors recovered over 10 kilograms of ecstasy with a street value of $1.5 million, a pill press for the manufacturing of controlled substances, $250,000 of Bitcoin cryptocurrency and $50,000 of U.S. cash, the U.S. attorney said.

If convicted, the Ross faces a sentence of up to 20 years’ in prison.

"More and more criminals are seeking ways to use the dark web to further their illegal enterprise, but law enforcement continues to evolve in its investigations to locate these vendors and bring them out of the shadows to face justice," HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel Melendez said.