E. Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California
Three men from Glendale and one from the San Fernando Valley have been charged with federal offenses related to a drug distribution network on the darknet. The Justice Department disclosed the arrests as part of its ongoing JCODE efforts aimed at tackling the widespread issue of illegal drug vendors on the darknet.
According to the federal grand jury indictment dated April 1, the four defendants are accused of operating roughly 10 darknet vendors on 17 different markets. The indictment outlines 116 actions contributing to the alleged conspiracy. The individuals charged are Davit Avalyan, Hrant Gevorgyan, and Hayk Grigoryan, all 35 and from Glendale, along with 43-year-old Gurgen Nersesyan from Sherman Oaks. All face charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, and ketamine.
Avalyan faces additional charges of distributing cocaine, MDMA, and methamphetamine. Gevorgyan is charged with possession with intent to distribute MDMA and ketamine, Grigoryan faces charges for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, while Nersesyan is charged with multiple counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and MDMA.
The defendants were arraigned in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, pleading not guilty, with their trial scheduled for June 3.
The Justice Department reports that from September 2018 to February 2025, various vendors operated under names like JoyInc and LaFarmacia. They allegedly traded cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, and ketamine for cryptocurrency on the darknet. These drugs were reportedly shipped across the United States via the Postal Service.
"JoyInc is believed to have been operating since at least 2018 and is one of the most prolific methamphetamine and cocaine distributors to ever operate on the darknet," the Justice Department noted.
Significant amounts of cash and suspected drugs were found in the searches tied to these arrests. If convicted, the defendants could face up to life in federal prison. Assistant United States Attorney James Santiago is prosecuting the case.
The investigation involved several agencies, including the United States Postal Inspection Service, the DEA, local police departments, and IRS Criminal Investigation, with arrests supported by the LAPD. The operation is part of broader initiatives, including Operation Take Back America and efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces to combat illicit activities orchestrated by criminal organizations.
