ATHENS, Ga. — Seven metro Atlanta residents are facing life in prison after they were indicted for allegedly distributing illegal drugs using the dark web.
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Steven Ehizojie Oboite, 32, of Conyers, Georgia; Eric Xavier Bechet, 31, of Dunwoody, Georgia; Jabari Ayinde Cooper, 29, of Atlanta, Georgia; Rashad Cortese Kinloch, 28, of Dunwoody; Myron Ned Stodghill, 31, of Fairburn, Georgia; Reginald Tyrone Douglas, 31, of Dunwoody; and Joshua Jamal Charles, 25, of Atlanta have been charged with one count of consipracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine face live in prison.
The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on May 14 and was unsealed on May 19.
The indictment alleges that a dark web vendor operated by Oboite and Bechet called WallStreetBets—first operating on the White House Market on the dark web as WallStreetBets and later as the Darkode Market on the dark web as WallStreetBet—began distributing large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other controlled substances sometime before March 2021 by shipping parcels of the illegal drugs from Georgia to other locations within the United States, including in the Middle District of Georgia.
The “Previous Vendor Feedback” section on the Darkode Market reported 2,777 previous sales with a 95% vendor rating for WallStreetBets/WallStreetBet, according to the indictment.
The indictment states that the packages share common characteristics such as padded or bubble-wrap-lined mailing envelopes, prepared shipping labels made by a third-party postage provider that accepts cryptocurrency as a form of payment.
The WallStreetBets/WallStreetBet vendor page offered pills for sale that appeared to be oxycodone, Adderall and Percocet, in addition to crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl-based powders.
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The indictment also alleges that Oboite and Bechet controlled the WallStreetBets/WallStreetBet vendor accounts across multiple dark web markets, including Darkode, Bohemia and Dark Matter. It is alleged that Oboite and Bechet got illegal drugs on behalf of WallStreetBets from several sources, including Stodghill.
Oboite and Bechet directed Cooper, Kinloch, Douglas and Charles to package the orders, print shipping labels and ship the parcels via the USPS to customer addresses throughout the US, including in middle Georgia. The indictment alleges that the seven metro Atlanta residents shipped thousands of packages containing illegal drugs.
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Authorities conducted search warrants on May 19 at several locations in metro Atlanta.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Middle District of Georgia, federal agents seized five kilograms of fentanyl-based powder, one kilogram of cocaine, a pill press with multiple die casts and molds, six guns, several pounds of marijuana, 200 pills, two cold cryptocurrency wallets, a Jeep Wrangler, and a Tesla Model S.
Stodghill and Cooper were arraigned last Wednesday. The other five had arraignment hearings between May 22 and June 12.
All suspects were remanded in federal custody except Cooper and Kinlock, who were released on bond.
They all face a maximum of life in prison.
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