Paul Anthony Nicholls, International Drug Trafficking, Georgia 2023

BRUNSWICK, GA - A British national is facing a possible life sentence following his jury trial conviction in the Southern District of Georgia for conspiring to distribute and import fentanyl analogues and other novel controlled substances on a dark web platform called “Dream Market.” The importation and distribution of these substances led to the death of two members of the United States Navy.

Paul Anthony Nicholls, 47, of Great Britain, was convicted of one count of Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances Resulting in Death and one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances Resulting in Death following a 4-day jury trial in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.

When a sentence is imposed by the Honorable Lisa Godbey Wood, United States District Judge, Defendant Nicholls faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 20 years imprisonment, with a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, as well as significant monetary penalties. There is no parole in the federal system.

“This conviction was achieved through the hard work and cooperation of our law enforcement officers and Canadian law enforcement. Two of our navy sailors died because of Nicholl’s distribution of lethal drugs. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who harm people in our communities.” said U.S. Attorney Meg Heap.

As described in court documents and testimony, Defendant Nicholls conspired with at least one other person to run a drug trafficking organization titled “Canada1” on the now-defunct dark web marketplace “Dream Market.” “Canada1” advertised various controlled substances for sale on “Dream Market” including the synthetic opioid U-47700 and the fentanyl analogue Methoxy acetyl fentanyl.

Expert witness testimony at trial valued the fentanyl analogues recovered from Defendant Nicholls’ conspirator’s home at $24,000,000 and indicated that there were enough substances present to kill 375,000 people.

Among the recovered evidence were receipts bearing tracking numbers for thousands of packages sent out by the conspirators to addresses all over the world. Among those receipts, were tracking numbers for two packages that traveled to Kingsland, Georgia in October 2017. Following delivery of those packages, United States Navy submariners B.T.J. and T.L.B. consumed the contents of the packages and each died of opioid overdoses at T.L.B.’s home approximately 4 days apart in October 2017.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr/british-national-convicted-international-drug-trafficking-conspiracy-charges-linked