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Gilberto Melgarejo, 27, and Brooke Gray, 23, Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics in Brooklyn
In a shocking turn of events, two dark web narcotics traffickers, Gilberto Melgarejo and Brooke Gray, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute illegal drugs over the ‘dark web.’
According to court documents, Melgarejo and Gray participated in dozens of transactions on the dark web, selling an array of illegal drugs including methamphetamines, fentanyl, heroin, LSD, and MDMA, and taking payment in the form of cryptocurrency.
The defendants, who were arrested on November 14, 2019, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, allegedly used the moniker ‘THEQUEENSHIVE’ to advertise and sell their illicit goods on Wall Street Market and Empire Market.
Between March 2019 and September 2019, Melgarejo and Gray made over 90 transactions, selling narcotics to customers who paid with cryptocurrency and contacted them through encrypted email and messaging services.
When they are sentenced, Melgarejo and Gray each face up to life in prison.
The investigation, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division, and the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, proves that there is no place to hide in the dark web when it comes to law enforcement’s efforts to save lives.
Acting United States Attorney Jacquelyn M. Kasulis stated, ‘With today’s guilty plea, the defendants have admitted to peddling potentially lethal narcotics on the dark web in a failed effort to hide their illegal and dangerous activity from law enforcement.’
Gilberto Melgarejo
Age: 27
Albuquerque, New Mexico
BROOKE GRAY
Age: 23
Albuquerque, New Mexico
CRIMINAL CHARGES: Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Illegal Drugs
City and State: Brooklyn, New York
DATE: August 10, 2021 (Gray) and [current date] (Melgarejo)
Sentence: Up to life in prison
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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