A US court has convicted a 54-year-old Nigerian man, Oluwole Adegboruwa, and his 49-year-old accomplice, Enrique Isong, for orchestrating a multi-million-dollar dark web drug trafficking operation. The duo received a combined jail sentence of 40 years.
This was disclosed in a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Utah. Adegboruwa was sentenced to 30 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and ordered to forfeit over $20 million. During the trial, Adegboruwa admitted to overseeing sales on dark web marketplaces and managing monetary accounts, including cryptocurrency platforms where most of the operation’s profits were funneled. He also confessed to initiating the online drug trafficking venture.
“Protecting the community from illicit drugs and dismantling drug trafficking operations is a priority for my office and our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “We will continue to prosecute and seek justice for these crimes.”
“This case further demonstrates that true anonymity on the dark web is a myth,” noted Glen Henderson, U.S. Postal Inspection Services State Phoenix Division Inspector in Charge. “U.S. Postal Inspectors remain steadfast in their commitment to dismantling drug trafficking operations, ensuring the safety of USPS customers and employees alike.”
DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen stated, “Adegboruwa’s criminal drug enterprise was complex, sophisticated, and generated millions of dollars in profits concealed in cryptocurrency transactions. This sentencing is a stark reminder that the DEA is relentless in the pursuit of justice and that drug traffickers cannot hide their illicit activities even in the secretive expanses of the dark web.”
Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office added, “Money laundering continues to be a top investigative priority for IRS-CI. The forfeiture amount in this case highlights the magnitude of the investigation, its impact on our community, and IRS-CI’s relentless commitment to uncovering illegal schemes by following the money.”
The investigation was carried out by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Assistant United States Attorneys Thaddeus J. May, Jennifer E. Gully, and Stewart M. Young from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah led the prosecution.
