Dark Web Vendor Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl Through the Mail

Press Release

Defendant Sold More than $1 Million of Drugs and Fraudulent Documents

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Ryan Scott Cochran, also known as "namedeclined," pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine through the United States mail. Today's proceeding was held before United States District Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. As part of his guilty plea, Cochran agreed to forfeit more than $200,000 in cash, cryptocurrency and money in bank accounts already seized by law enforcement, and agreed to forfeit an additional $900,000 at a later date. When sentenced, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of twenty years' imprisonment.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.

Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Field Office and San Francisco Field Office; Internal Revenue Service, Oakland Field Office; and the Drug Enforcement Administration, San Francisco Field Office, for their assistance on the case.

According to court documents and facts presented at the guilty plea proceeding, Cochran was a highly rated vendor on numerous dark web marketplaces for more than a decade. Cochran advertised and sold fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, among other drugs, and shipped them throughout the United States and around the world through the United States mail. Cochran also sold fraudulent identification documents and other forged documents, such as health insurance cards, on the dark web.

Assistant United States Attorney Philip Pilmar is in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Thomas Englert and Rachel Friedman.

The <_w3a_sdt docpart="24C233A244EE4134A45C93F8E3CBF4FD" dropdown="t" id="1174685880"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="Choose an item."> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="Defendant" listvalue="Defendant"> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="Defendants" listvalue="Defendants"> Defendant:

<_w3a_sdt docpart="535072F072CF425984098C69A0C42C46" id="575010685">RYAN SCOTT COCHRAN, aka "namedeclined"
Age: 34<_w3a_sdt docpart="5004AD0F8CAA492C9814D10101FE3A73" id="-225534894">
San Jose, <_w3a_sdt docpart="104AF0D27DBD4A3BA62D8985D05E7B33" id="1586800551">CA

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. <_w3a_sdt docpart="38556E2209564FBD8A89066D11A6DA3B" id="-1950002052">24-CR-063 (RER)

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Updated August 28, 2024