Dark web drug dealer and fan of large beards gets 20-year prison sentence

[midian182]

In brief: The strange story of a French dark web drug dealer who was arrested after traveling to the US for a beard competition has reached its inevitable conclusion. Gal Vallerius, aka "Oxymonster," has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to drug distribution and money laundering.

Vallerius was accused of acting as an administrator, senior moderator, and vendor for dark web marketplace Dream Market, where everything from heroin to stolen financial data could be purchased. The site had been the subject of a multi-agency investigation since February 2016, with Oxymonster being identified as a major seller of Oxycontin and crystal meth.

Vallerius was arrested in August 2017 when he arrived at Atlanta International Airport while on his way to a beard and mustache competition in Austin, Texas. It was his first visit to America, where he was set to compete in the “full beard 30.1 – 45cm” category at the event.

After pleading guilty back in June to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to launder money, US District Judge Robert N. Scola sentenced Vallerius to 20 years in prison—half of what he could have received—earlier this week. He was also ordered to forfeit nearly 100 bitcoins and more than 121 units of bitcoin cash, which is currently worth over $700,000.

Vallerius’ online identity was revealed when investigators traced outgoing Bitcoin transactions from Oxymonster’s tip jar to wallets registered in his name. They also discovered that the writing style in many of Vallerius’ social media posts were similar to Oxymonster’s, including regular use of quotation marks, double exclamation marks, and the word “cheers,” as well as intermittent French posts.

As noted by Ars Technica, Vallerius' wife, Yasmin Vallerius, wrote a Hebrew-language letter to the court explaining that the arrest "broke him mentally."

"I know he's regretting everything, and I know he'll never make the same mistake!" she added. "Please, Your Honor. Have mercy on him!"

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/76879-dark-web-drug-dealer-fan-large-beards-gets.html

 

[trparky]

Nope, no mercy. He knew what he was doing was wrong yet he kept on doing it. Sure, it sucks to be him now but as the old saying goes... Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time.

 

[gusticles41]

I know he's regretting everything

...because he got caught. Duh doy.

 

[trparky]

Yep. He doesn't regret doing what he did, he regrets getting caught. Big difference.

 

[TomSEA]

"I know he's regretting everything, and I know he'll never make the same mistake!"

You're right Mrs. Vallerius. That's because he'll be sitting in the can for the next 20 years. Should have been for life selling what he was.

 

[yRaz]

I don't understand the money laundering part. He doesn't have a US social security number and doesn't have to pay taxes within the US. Money laundering is only a crime in the country of residence. Maybe I'm speculating here, but I'd assume there isn't a US tax form to file drug profits to the IRS

 

[cliffordcooley]

Maybe I'm speculating here, but I'd assume there isn't a US tax form to file drug profits to the IRS

That would make for a semi-good blonde joke. lol

 

[TomSEA]

I don't understand the money laundering part. He doesn't have a US social security number and doesn't have to pay taxes within the US. Money laundering is only a crime in the country of residence. Maybe I'm speculating here, but I'd assume there isn't a US tax form to file drug profits to the IRS

Money laundering doesn't necessarily involve the IRS. In fact, in most cases it doesn't - those that do are tax evasion crimes. Money laundering is the effort to conceal and store illicit funds via legitimate bank and business transfers.

If you haven't seen the TV series "Breaking Bad," you should check it out. Besides being one of the best TV series I've ever seen, there's a portion of the story that involves classic money laundering activities.

 

[mrjgriffin]

....step 1. dont name yourself oxymonster lol wtf. step 2. don't go to the united states, we got a war on drugs here lol. what an *****. they should shave his beard as punishment for being so stupid heh.

 

[sac39507]

What was all the information about bitcoin being untraceable? What a scam.

 

[EClyde]

He look good in Orange

 

[i3kingwizardop]

They should make it legal to sell drugs online. That would take the street trade away from gangsters and reduce violence in our streets.

 

[Jackwoz]

You do the crime, you do the time

 

[S1lence]

I don't understand the money laundering part. He doesn't have a US social security number and doesn't have to pay taxes within the US. Money laundering is only a crime in the country of residence. Maybe I'm speculating here, but I'd assume there isn't a US tax form to file drug profits to the IRS

IRS code 280E provides acceptance of taxes on the sale of illegal drugs, the medical cannabis industry is very familiar with it.

 

[S1lence]

What was all the information about bitcoin being untraceable? What a scam.

A bitcoin tip jar is published, it's different from secured funds because it will accept donations from anywhere.

 

[jtveg]

Nope, no mercy. He knew what he was doing was wrong yet he kept on doing it. Sure, it sucks to be him now but as the old saying goes... Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time.

Yep. I Totally agree.

 

[captaincranky]

He look good in Orange

At "Club Fed", orange is only for pretrial inmates. Dark khaki is the color of, er, "permanent residents"!!

Why couldn't the fed ring the whiny biddy up for "conspiracy". If, she knows he knows what he did is wrong, it isn't much of a leap to assume she knew what he was doing was wrong the whole time, and did it along with him.

I know, I'm a dreamer. No, not that kind of dreamer, I was born in the US..

 

[sac39507]

They should make it legal to sell drugs online. That would take the street trade away from gangsters and reduce violence in our streets.

and hookers...