CRIME
Indian National Pleads Guilty To Dark Web Drug Ring That Led To $150 Million Cryptocurrency Seizure
Franklin County Sheriff's Office
An Indian national on Friday pleaded guilty to a dark web narcotics conspiracy that led to the largest single cryptocurrency and cash seizure in the history of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Banmeet Singh, 40, of Haldwani, India, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio
Singh created vendor marketing sites on dark web marketplaces and controlled at least eight distribution cells within the U.S., including one in Columbus, Ohio, according to court documents. Cells were in Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, North Dakota and Washington received drug shipments from overseas then re-packaged and shipped the drugs to all 50 states, Canada, England, Ireland, Jamaica, Scotland and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Singh was arrested in London in April 2019 and extradited to the U.S. last year.
The DEA seized cash along with the contents of forfeited cryptocurrency accounts that ultimately became worth $150 million, constituting the largest such seizure in the agency’s history.
“In the Singh organizations drug orders, the members frequently used the vendor name Liston and signed off with the signature phrase, Im still dancing. Today, with Banmeet Singhs plea of guilty, the dance is over,” U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker said in a statement.
“Banmeet Singh and traffickers like him think they can operate anonymously on the dark web and evade prosecution,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. “Todays guilty plea, which includes forfeiture of approximately $150 million in cryptocurrency, demonstrates that the Justice Department will hold criminals who violate U.S. law accountable no matter how they conceal their activity. Together with our international partners, we will continue to find criminals lurking in the darkness and bring their crimes to light.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene described Singh as one of the most significant drug trafficking threats in the world.
His criminal enterprise has caused untold suffering to perhaps tens of thousands of people throughout the country, Greene said.
TMX contributed to this article.
