Georgia men face potential life in prison in darkweb sting

Federal investigators announced two court cases in the Middle District of Georgia tied to Operation TorNado.

The global law enforcement campaign targeted people accused of selling fentanyl, opioids and other illegal drugs on the dark web.

The operation resulted in 354 arrests worldwide, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The global initiative targeted drug operations that used darknet marketplaces, encrypted communications, cryptocurrency accounts and false shipping information to distribute controlled substances across the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Federal prosecutors are handling related cases across more than 20 federal court districts.

In one Middle District of Georgia case, federal prosecutors charged Steven Ehizojie Oboite, 33, of Conyers, Ga., and Joshua Jamal Charles, 27, of Atlanta, with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Each man faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Four other Georgia residents pleaded guilty to drug distribution conspiracy charges connected to the same dark web operation. Eric Xavier Bechet, 32 and Reginald Tyrone Douglas, 32, both of Dunwoody, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine on Sept. 14 and Sept. 2, respectively.

Serina Johnson, 32, of Suwanee, pleaded guilty to the same charge on Nov. 5 and faces up to 20 years in prison.

Myron Ned Stodghill, 32, of Fairburn, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine on June 3, 2026, facing a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

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Court documents show federal agencies began investigating a darknet vendor operating under the name WallstreetBets in 2021.

Investigators tied the drug sales to the Atlanta area after intercepting packages sent through the U.S. Postal Service with prepaid postage purchased using cryptocurrency and fake return addresses.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service identified Bechet in June 2022 after observing him mailing dozens of packages from a metro Atlanta postal facility.

The FBI expanded the investigation in 2024 by making controlled purchases from the WallstreetBets account and tracking drug shipments to area post offices.

Search warrants executed in May 2025 uncovered a drug storage and packaging facility.

Investigators seized approximately 16.7 kilograms of fentanyl, 238 grams of methamphetamine and 885 grams of cocaine.

Prosecutors said evidence showed trusted associates continued operating the account and coordinating shipments following Oboite’s arrest.

The FBI and the Postal Inspection Service led the investigation into the Oboite case, assisted by the Internal Revenue Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.

In a second case prosecuted in the Middle District of Georgia, Sam Homler, 28, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on July 7, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute protonitazene and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

Homler, who operated under darknet vendor names including Martin Van Buren, Martyvanburren8 and Marty, faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Two co-defendants in the Homler case have received prison sentences.

Sergio Marroquin-Sosa, 33, of North Hollywood, Calif., was sentenced on Jan. 14, 2026, to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy charge.

Shayaan Husain, 27, of Philadelphia, received a 12-month prison sentence on March 3, 2026, after pleading guilty to a protonitazene distribution conspiracy charge.

Immigration officials will take custody of Husain for deportation proceedings following his prison sentence.

Federal agents began controlled purchases in the Homler investigation in 2023, discovering the group used darknet marketplaces, encrypted messaging apps, cryptocurrency and the postal system.

Authorities intercepted shipments containing more than nine kilograms of methamphetamine along with roughly 500 grams of ketamine and protonitazene.

A search of Husain’s Philadelphia residence on Oct. 16, 2024, yielded methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA, cocaine, DMT, THC products, suspected marijuana, cash and electronic devices.

Operation TorNado ran from May 2025 through October 2026 across multiple countries.

Worldwide, law enforcement agencies seized more than $234 million in cash and virtual currencies, approximately 5.7 metric tons of illegal drugs, 38 pill presses and 209 firearms.

The court will schedule sentencing hearings at later dates for the remaining defendants awaiting sentencing in the Middle District of Georgia cases, according to the Justice Department.