Sky Justin Gornik, a thirty-nine year old from San Diego, California, was just sentenced to 70 years in jail for attempting to “deliver, distribute and dispense controlled substances through the internet, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(h), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846,” reads a court report.
Most notably, however, the man was planning to launder these drugs with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Stratis, and others, the report states. As you may know, Bitcoin and other digital assets are used all the time by users on the Dark Web, though Bitcoin isn’t as anonymous as some may think.
An excerpt from the post:
“Employing anonymous screen names, Gornik used multiple Dark Web marketplaces (including Alpha Bay, Trade Route, Abraxas, Evolution, Outlaw Market, and Dream Market) to buy and sell controlled substances. Specifically, Gornik admitted that he purchased and sold fentanyl and purchased the especially deadly opiate carfentanil using a variety of digital currencies. Gornik also purchased and sold multiple other controlled substances, including thousands of vials of ketamine, oxycodone pills, Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), Psilocybin and Psilocin, Amphetamine, Buprenorphine, Methamphetamine, and Naloxone.”
Essentially, authorities found “1.7 grams of carfentanil” inside Gornick’s space. This “synthetic opioid” is “10,000 (sic) more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl” and the amount Gornik had could amount to “86,000 fatal dosages.”
“As part of his guilty plea,” the post continues, “Gornik agreed to forfeit millions of dollars in digital or crypto currency including Bitcoins, Stratis, Ethereum, 2350 Monero, digital currency contained in Gornik’s Bittrex accounts, and digital currency contained in Gornik’s Poloniex accounts. Gornik admitted that these digital or crypto currency represented drug trafficking proceeds of the offense and were involved in the offense of money laundering over the Dark Web.”
From there, one U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr spoke on the Dark Web overall:
“Dark Web traffickers take note: we will not allow you to lurk in murky corners of the internet, selling and delivering deadly drugs as casually as an Amazon Prime package. Cracking through multiple levels of anonymity mazes to uncover the true nature and extent of Gornik’s drug dealing and money laundering.”
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