Las Vegas Man and L.A. Associate Behind Dark Web Oxycodone Empire

A federal jury in Salt Lake City has found Oluwole Adegboruwa, 54, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Enrique Isong, 49, of Los Angeles, California, guilty on all counts for their roles in a massive dark web oxycodone distribution scheme.

According to evidence presented at trial, from October 2016 through May 2019, Adegboruwa sold over 300,000 oxycodone pills to customers on dark web marketplaces, including Hansa, Dream Market, Wall Street Market, and Alphabay. Customers paid Adegboruwa, who operated his vendor pages as ‘King Odua’ and ‘Alagbada726,’ with cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, which he later sold for traditional currency.

Adegboruwa testified at trial and admitted that he was the only one who had access to his vendor pages on the dark web markets to process orders from customers. He then directed others in Las Vegas and in Los Angeles to package and ship the pills around the United States.

Jurors convicted Adegboruwa under what is commonly referred to as the ‘kingpin statute’ for organizing a continuing criminal enterprise and directing at least five others in the drug distribution conspiracy. The jury also heard testimony from co-defendants who have already pleaded guilty, describing the ways in which Adegboruwa directed them to sort, package, and ship oxycodone pills to minimize damage and detection.

The jury returned a special verdict form requiring Adegboruwa to forfeit $380,395.64 in cash, $15,500 in lieu of a 2017 Dodge Charger, and 26 money orders totaling $9,400. The jury also found that Adegboruwa had to forfeit cryptocurrency now valued at more than $15 million.

Adegboruwa and Isong are scheduled for sentencing in August 2024 at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Assistant United States Attorneys Thaddeus J. May, Jennifer E. Gully, and Stewart M. Young of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF).