A man from the San Fernando Valley admitted to selling fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine through hidden internet marketplaces, making hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales to buyers across the country.
Brian McDonald, 23, of Van Nuys, pleaded guilty in downtown Los Angeles to charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, as well as possession of firearms in connection with drug trafficking.
The sentencing hearing for a case has been scheduled for October 21 by U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald.
McDonald and a co-defendant were charged in May 2023 for allegedly conspiring to sell fentanyl and cocaine on dark web marketplaces using aliases such as "Malachai Johnson" and "SouthSideOxy" in exchange for cryptocurrency.
McDonald was responsible for managing vendor profiles, updating drug listings and shipment options, tracking online drug orders, and transferring cryptocurrency payments into wallets he controlled, according to prosecutors.
McDonald recruited and hired individuals to assist with packaging and shipping narcotics on hidden internet marketplaces. He also trained his co-conspirators in the process and helped with packaging and shipping, as stated in court documents filed in Los Angeles federal court.
The text states that McDonald created a darknet vendor profile to sell illegal drugs in May 2021 and bragged about sales to an accomplice a week later.
McDonald messaged a co-conspirator that he had sold 20,000 pills.
In June 2021, McDonald communicated with an accomplice about having 34 drug orders to fill. The following month, McDonald mentioned in texts about the conspiracy's goals that he was aiming to make around $5 million.
The funds obtained from alleged drug transactions, which were converted from cryptocurrency to cash, were kept at the homes of McDonald and a co-defendant. According to the indictment, the sales of fentanyl and cocaine generated hundreds of thousands of dollars.
McDonald has also been accused of possessing firearms, specifically two gold-plated handguns, one of which lacks a serial number, in order to safeguard his drug enterprise and the profits generated from darknet marketplaces.
The sentencing hearing for co-defendant Ciara Clutario, aged 23 and residing in Burbank, has been scheduled for January 13. However, the specific charges to which she has admitted are currently unclear.
