Leader of conspiracy to sell cocaine, counterfeit pills over dark web in Detroit sentenced to prison

DETROIT – The leader of a conspiracy to sell cocaine and counterfeit pills over the dark web was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison.

Victor Hernandez, 31, of Detroit, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to distribute illicit substances, a conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, his distribution of counterfeit pills, and the use of firearms in furtherance of the crime.

Hernandez was sentenced on Wednesday, June 26. As part of his sentencing, Hernandez was ordered to forfeit the proceeds from his crimes in the form of a $3.1 million money judgment.

Hernandez’s sister, Carolyn Hernandez-Taylor, also pleaded guilty in the case and was sentenced to 60 months.

Court documents revealed Hernandez ran a dark web vendor site under the moniker “Opiateconnect,” selling illicit scheduled drugs, including cocaine and various counterfeit drugs.

The counterfeit pills were made to look like alprazolam, the most commonly prescribed psychotropic medication in the United States (including under the brand name Xanax), used to manage panic and anxiety disorders. However, they were, in fact, uncontrolled research chemicals that were not scheduled for human consumption.

Federal investigators worked for months to determine the identity of “opiateconnect” and the location he was using.

That investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at Hernandez’s house in Detroit, where agents discovered a clandestine drug lab capable of producing upwards of 20,000 pills per hour.

They also found around three firearms, a “tub” containing approximately 600 grams of cocaine, thousands of pressed counterfeit alprazolam pills, $340,000 in cash, and more than $1 million in cryptocurrency.

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