ORLANDO, FL – In a landmark ruling against online drug trafficking, U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza handed down sentences that could send Julian Villa-Gomez Lemus and Fadhle Muqbel Saeed to federal prison for a decade. Lemus, 32, from Visalia, CA, was sentenced to ten years, while Saeed, 31, of Porterville, CA, received nine years and six months.
The trio’s leader, Alfonso Bojorquez-Vazquez, 30, also from Porterville, had his sentence finalized on March 27, 2016, with a seven-year term for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. The court’s money judgment against Saeed totals $1.9 million, derived from the illegal drug trade.
Lemus and Saeed were both found guilty following a jury trial on January 4, 2017. According to court documents and trial evidence, the trio operated an extensive online drug ring between May 2012 and March 2015. They utilized shadowy marketplaces like Silk Road and Evolution Marketplace, where they traded drugs ranging from methamphetamine to steroids, all while maintaining anonymity using Bitcoin transactions.
Operating under the alias ‘darkexpresso’, they executed over 1,300 drug transactions, accumulating a staggering $1.9 million in proceeds. Their illegal endeavors reached across the United States and Australia, with drugs often hidden and shipped discreetly.
Following the shutdown of Silk Road, Saeed and Bojorquez-Vazquez shifted their operations to Evolution Marketplace. Undercover DEA agents managed to purchase over 96 hydrocodone pills and approximately 473 grams of methamphetamine through several online transactions.
This case was a collaborative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Inspection Service, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vincent S. Chiu and Alejandro J. Salicrup.
Related Federal Cases
- Ex-Tax Auditor Plunkett Hit with Tax Fraud Charges · New York
- RCI Execs Hit With Bribery and Tax Fraud Charges · New York
- 81-Year-Old Fugitive Woodring Nabbed After Decade · Florida
- Qazi Brothers Hit with New Terror Charges and Assault on Marshals · Florida
- Cay Clubs Co-Founders Hit with $300M Ponzi Scheme Charges · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News