⏱ 4 min read
Devlin Hosner, a 37-year-old from Modesto, California, was a major player in the dark web’s illicit drug trade, peddling fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills and methamphetamine to unsuspecting buyers. Alongside his co-defendant, Holly Adams, Hosner made a fortune – hundreds of thousands of dollars – by exploiting the anonymity of the dark web and laundering their proceeds through cryptocurrency. Their operation was eventually uncovered in September 2021, when state law enforcement officers raided their residence, but not before Hosner tried to block their entry and Adams attempted to destroy evidence by dissolving pills in a chemical solution.
Despite being arrested and released, Hosner and Adams resumed their dark web activities, unaware that they were being watched by federal investigators. Their luck ran out in March 2022, when federal agents raided a hotel room in Riverside County, seizing nearly a kilogram of fentanyl-pressed pills and 60 grams of methamphetamine. The bust marked the beginning of the end for Hosner’s operation, culminating in his guilty plea on December 9, 2026.
Hosner’s sentence – 10 years in prison – reflects the severity of his crimes and the dangers of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has ravaged communities across the United States. His co-defendant, Holly Adams, received a 12-year sentence in June 2025. The case was the result of a joint investigation by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, which comprises agents from the IRS, Homeland Security, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the DEA.
The NCIDE Task Force’s efforts demonstrate the government’s commitment to disrupting dark web operations and holding perpetrators accountable. As the opioid epidemic continues to claim lives and destroy families, law enforcement agencies are working tirelessly to dismantle the networks that fuel this crisis. Hosner’s sentence serves as a warning to those who would seek to exploit the dark web for their own gain: you will be caught, and you will face justice.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Drug Trafficking
- Defendant: California
- Location: CA
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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