Santa Clarita Man Who Led Organization that Trafficked Drugs to Darknet Customers Nationwide Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison

LOS ANGELES - A Santa Clarita man who led the Los Angeles-based "Drugpharmacist" drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine via darknet marketplaces was sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison.

Jerrell Eugene Anderson, 34, was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu.

Anderson pleaded guilty on June 10 to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

From at least July 2018 to March 2019, Anderson conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine that they sold on darknet marketplaces. Specifically, Anderson advertised and sold drugs to customers on the darknet marketplaces Dream and Wall Street Market, using monikers such as "Drugpharmacist" and "rickandmortyshop."

Anderson and his accomplices packaged drugs in stuffed animals for shipment to their darknet customers. Anderson and his co-conspirators then delivered from San Fernando Valley stash houses packages containing drugs to post offices throughout the Los Angeles area for shipment to their customers nationwide. For example, in August 2018, Anderson and a co-conspirator knowingly distributed heroin to a victim in Knoxville, Tennessee whose death resulted from using the heroin.

Also, in March 2019, in a Glendale apartment, Anderson and other co-conspirators possessed methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine for distribution to darknet customers. At that time, Anderson knowingly possessed a semiautomatic pistol in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.

The other defendants in this case - Christopher Canion Von Holton, 37, of Woodland Hills; Kenneth Lashawn Hadley, 37, of Las Vegas; Adan Sepulveda, 31, of Palmdale; and Jackie Walter Burns, 26, of Lancaster, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and have been sentenced.

The United States Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Fairfax County (Virginia) Police Department, the Knoxville (Tennessee) Police Department, and the Cleburne County (Arkansas) Sheriff's Office investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Khaldoun Shobaki and Lauren Restrepo of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section prosecuted this case.