Darkweb Vendor "DrFrosty" Sentenced to Five Years in Prison
A California darkweb vendor was sentenced to five years in prison for selling methamphetamine on the darkweb after pleading guilty to related charges earlier this year. The man admitted selling methamphetamine through darkweb vendor accounts on Dream Market, Empire Market, and SilkRoad 3.1 under the alias “DrFrosty.”
DrFrosty on Empire
According to an announcement by U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of California, Omar Isho of Modesto was arrested on May 23 as the result of a lengthy undercover investigation. The investigation was carried out by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force. During the investigation, federal agents purchased meth from “DrFrosty” on various darkweb marketplaces. DrFrosty shipped his product inside boxes of jigsaw puzzles. Investigators built a profile and analyzed surveillance footage. They examined postal records associated with the drug packages they had ordered in an undercover capacity. The analysis led the investigators to Isho.
DrFrosty Listings on Empire Market
On June 6 a federal jury Indicted Isho and charged Isho with five counts of distributing methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. After pleading not guilty in several court appearances, Isho finally pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on August 8.
In response to the guilty plea, U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. sentenced Isho to five years and 10 months in prison.
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will continue to identify, investigate and bring to justice criminals, like Isho, who seek to profit from trafficking illegal drugs through online black markets,” said Tatum King, special agent in charge, HSI San Francisco and Northern California. “The result of this multi-agency investigation sends a strong message to drug traffickers that the anonymity of the internet will not prevent law enforcement from executing our public safety mission. HSI will continue to leverage its global reach with local, state, federal, and foreign law enforcement partnerships to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle hidden illegal networks that pose threats in both cyberspace and in our local communities.”
This case joins the list of successful cases led by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force—one of the few law enforcement agencies with their own onion service.