Glendale Man Sentenced to Almost 5 Years in Prison in Darknet Drug Distribution Case
Published
Key Takeaways
- Last Sentencing: The last co-defendant in a darknet drug distribution case has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for his involvement.
- Extensive Operation: The conspiracy operated multiple vendor accounts on darknet marketplaces, including the prolific "JoyInc," to distribute narcotics across the United States.
- Cryptocurrency Payments: The network accepted cryptocurrency in exchange for illicit substances like methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, and ketamine.
A Glendale man, Davit Avalyan, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for his participation in a conspiracy to distribute a range of illegal narcotics through darknet marketplaces. Avalyan pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of conspiracy, admitting his role in the criminal enterprise that leveraged the anonymity of the darknet and cryptocurrency to facilitate illicit trade.
Details of the Darknet Drug Distribution Network
Court documents said that from September 2018 to February 2025, Avalyan, 36, of Glendale, distributed illegal narcotics by conspiring with his co-defendants Hrant Gevorgyan, 36, of Glendale, Hayk Grigoryan, 36, a.k.a. “Hayk Greg,” of Glendale, and Gurgen Nersesyan, 44, a.k.a. “Guro Tiko,” of Sherman Oaks.
He managed numerous dark web vendor accounts on various marketplace platforms in exchange for crypto. These included JoyInc, LaFarmacia, WhiteDoc, JanesAddiction, DaShop, WhiteRepublic, Tomorowland, PlanetHollywood, DopeValley, and Major2Minor.
These storefronts sold and shipped cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine, and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) to customers throughout the U.S. via parcels deposited at post offices and postal mailboxes in Los Angeles County and more.
The DoJ press release mentioned that the "JoyInc" vendor account, which authorities believe has been operating since at least 2018, was identified as one of the most prolific distributors of methamphetamine and cocaine ever to operate on the darknet.
Sentencing Concludes Multi-Defendant Case
Avalyan is the final defendant to be sentenced in the Glendale darknet drug case. His three co-conspirators also received significant federal prison sentences.
- Hrant Gevorgyan was sentenced to 24 months,
- Gurgen Nersesyan received 43 months,
- Hayk Grigoryan was sentenced to 10 years.
In other recent news, a Phobos ransomware affiliate was arrested in Poland in a global crackdown operation. Last month, suspected cyber scam kingpin and head of Prince Group Chen Zhi was arrested in Cambodia and extradited to China.
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