BARRETT F. DACUS / STAFF PHOTO
A federal grand jury in Bridgeport has charged Barry Duclos, a 39-year-old man from Norwich, Connecticut, with fentanyl analogue trafficking and firearm possession offenses.
Duclos, who operated a vendor page known as ‘Dream Market’ on the dark web, advertised the sale of fentanyl analogues and shipped them to customers using the U.S. Mail and Bitcoin payments.
According to court documents, between September 2017 and February 2018, Duclos sold fentanyl analogues to customers who paid using Bitcoin. A search of his residence at the time of his arrest revealed a YHM rifle with multiple magazines, two of which were extended magazines, and a quantity of fentanyl.
Duclos has a prior conviction for sale of narcotics in 2001 and larceny in the third degree in 2017. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The indictment charges Duclos with one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 10 grams or more of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of 40 years. Duclos is also charged with eight counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl analogues, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.
Duclos was arrested on February 12, 2018, and has been detained since then. He entered a plea of not guilty to the charges on September 6, 2018.
According to U.S. Attorney John H. Durham, an indictment is not evidence of guilt, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Richards.
Duclos’s current status is detained. This article has been updated to include the correct charges, which were previously reported as ‘fentanyl trafficking’ but are now accurately stated as ‘fentanyl analogue trafficking and firearm possession offenses.’
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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