A United States court has sentenced Oluwole Adegboruwa, 54, and his accomplice Enrique Isong, 49, to a combined 40 years in prison for operating a multi-million dollar dark web drug trafficking operation.
According to a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Utah, Adegboruwa received a 30-year prison sentence with supervised release for life and must forfeit over $20 million.
This forfeiture marks one of the largest in the District of Utah’s history.
The Explainer learned, U.S. District Court Judge Jill N. Parish handed down the sentence after a jury found both defendants guilty of multiple federal crimes in May 2024, including conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and money laundering.
Isong received a 10-year prison sentence and three years of supervised release on October 23, 2024.
Court documents and trial evidence revealed that between October 2016 and May 2019, Adegboruwa sold more than 300,000 oxycodone pills through dark web marketplaces to customers across the United States.
The operation generated approximately $9,112,471 in drug proceeds.
The jury determined that Adegboruwa led the criminal enterprise, with team members assigned various roles including sourcing pharmacy-grade pills, packaging, and shipping to customers.
Adegboruwa admitted to controlling dark web market sales and cryptocurrency accounts that held the operation’s profits.
“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.
Glen Henderson, U.S. Postal Inspection Services State Phoenix Division Inspector in Charge, emphasized that “true anonymity on the dark web is a myth,” while DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent Jonathan Pullen called the sentencing “a stark reminder that the DEA is relentless in the pursuit of justice.”
IRS Criminal Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick highlighted the significance of the forfeiture amount, noting it “highlights the magnitude of the investigation conducted by IRS-CI special agents.”
The investigation was a joint effort by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Thaddeus J. May, Jennifer E. Gully, and Stewart M. Young prosecuted the case.
