Case Breakdown: Navy Darknet Drug Dealer
According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of California, a US Navy Commander pleaded guilty to buying and selling drugs via the darknet. US Navy Commander Adolph Garza is now a convicted drug dealer.
Background and highlights
Where the case began and who caused Garza’s arrest.
Sky Justin Gornik
In June 2017, the California authorities raided the San Diego home of Justin Gornik, age 39, on dozens of drug trafficking charges. Court papers revealed that Gornik had been selling massive quantities of fentanyl, carfentanil, oxycodone, and other assorted substances.
Evidence
Evidence collected during the Gornik raid included hundreds of grams of assorted drugs, sheets of LSD, digital evidence indicative of drug trafficking, and a ledger filed with the details of his customers. The digital evidence proved Gornik had been selling on Dream Market; alphabay; Abraxas; Trade route; Evolution; and Outlaw Market. His ledger-like the ledger kept by Oklahoma darknet vendor Steven Wallace George -listed the name and address of each customer.
The Ledger
“A sales ledger is located on Gomik’s computer with an entry listing the type and amount of drug sold, the buyer’s darknet marketplace screen name, and the address of the package is sent,” court documents explained.
One of the listings on Gornik’s ledger was listed as follows:
March 7 AdolphGarza - 2 K- ilovedisneyworld DM 3635 Ave. # 9E San Diego, CA 92103
Gornik later explained that “K” stood for ketamine and “DM” stood for Dream Market.
Notably, Gornik arrives in the arrest of a Dream Market fentanyl dealer named Steven Wallace George. Gornik to several fentanyl purchases.
US Navy Commander Adolph Garza
Customs Seizures
On August 12, 2016, US Customs and Border Protection was mailed to the International Mail Facility, originating from the Netherlands and addressed to “DOLPH GARZA 3635 7TH AVENUE 9E SAN DIEGO, CA 92103” (Garza’s Residence). The parcel contained 11 grams of a MDMA.
The United States Postal Investigation Service and Customs at least 18 more packages between the first 2016 seizure. The last recorded seizure occurred on February 12, 2018. The package contacted 125 yellow and blue ecstasy pills imprinted with the IKEA symbol.
The Raid
According to the Criminal Complaint , a federal search warrant was executed at Garza’s Residence. Agents found sealer, pills, powders, liquid suspected LSD, MDMA Suspected, packaging materials, $ 9,800 in cash, mailing materials, and suspected cocaine.
The Guilty Plea
Garza pleaded guilty to only one count of Conspiracy to Distributed Controlled Substances. His plea has not yet been made available to the public.
Court Documents
Sky Justin Gornik
Sky Gornik : Criminal Complaint
Steven Wallace George
Steven George : Indictment
Steven George : Plea Agreement
Steven George : Final Judgment
Adolph Garza
Garza : Criminal Complaint
Garza : Protective Discovery Order
Garza : Plea Agreement (as soon as unsealed)
The Press Release
US Navy Commander Adolph Garza, resident of San Diego, admittedly using the Dark Web to make multiple controlled products, including ecstasy, ketamine, cocaine, amphetamine and other controlled substances over 18-month period, beginning on August 12, 2016 and continuing up to March 7, 2018.
Plea Agreement
According to his plea agreement, Garza uses multiple dark web market places to order controlled substances for distribution in San Diego and beyond. In his plea agreement, Garza admitted that at least 15 occasions, the drugs were ordered by US Customs and Border Protection at airports in San Francisco, New York and Chicago; and by US Postal Inspectors and Homeland Security Investigation Agents in San Diego.
detention
On March 7, 2018, Garza was arrested by US Postal Inspectors, Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations, and Special Agents with Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Inside his residence, agent founders, packaging and mailing materials, and concealment mailing methods (including DVD cases). Federal agents are MDMA, cocaine, ketamine, amphetamine and other controlled substances, as Garza admitted today in federal court.
Texas Connection
According to court records, Garza distributed distributed substances, including powder and tablet forms of MDMA and ketamine, by mailing multiple packages to individuals in Texas.
Sentencing
Judge Cynthia Bashant is on December 10, 2018 at 9 am
The press release is available here: 18-cr-1745
Dentistry: NPI 1205838695