The Empire Market Vendor NeverPressedRX has admitted to running a darknet account and conspiring to firebomb a Nebraska-based pharmacy.
The 32-year-old suspect from Maryland, William Burgamy, pleaded guilty to a number of charges leveled against him including one count of a conspiracy to distribute drugs, engaging in a money laundering scheme that involved criminal proceeds, the conspiracy to possess guns during a drug distribution process, and the conspiracy to use explosive devices during the conspiracy to distribute drugs.
His co-accused, pharmacist Hyrum Wilson, also pleaded guilty to charges of a conspiracy to use explosives, conspiracy to distribute controlled drugs and money laundering.
An Established Empire Market Vendor
An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) lifted the lid on Burgamy’s operations, which featured the darknet account “NeverPressedRX” that was used to meet the darknet demand for a variety of controlled substances.
Reportedly, Burgamy distributed a large assortment of drugs including Xanax, diazepam, oxycodone, hydrocodone, Aderall, and tramadol. Law enforcement intimated that the man succeeded in mastering his trade, leading to a successful dark web career that scored 19,000 units of controlled drugs with the FBI noting that the dark web vendor sold a total 700kg of drugs through the “NeverPressedRX” account.
According to details concerning the case, the FBI apprehended the individual who supplied Burgamy with the controlled drugs. The suspect, 41-year-old Hyrum Wilson, was alleged to have supplied large consignments of prescription pills, including opioids, to the “NeverPressedRX” dark web account.
The Nebraska man used his legitimate business, Hyrum’s Family Value Pharmacy, as a front for the robust darknet operation that operated from August 2019 to April 2020. Statements from court prosecution estimated Burgamy’s darknet drug business to have grossed to about $1m, although the official tally of the operation’s profits have not been released considering that the main suspect forfeited $300,000.
Operation Firewood
Following Burgamy’s arrest by the FBI, agents exposed “Operation Firewood”, which denoted an arsonist plan by Wilson and Burgamy to destroy Cody’s U-Save Pharmacy, a rival business in Nebraska.
The high profitability that typifies the darknet drug enterprise reflected on the pair’s operation. It turned out that Wilson had surpassed the limits prescribed by his distributor concerning the scale of drugs that he could receive and pass on to Burgamy.
As a result, Wilson and Burgamy hatched the plot to covertly invade Cody’s U-Save Pharmacy with the intention of stealing controlled substances and firebombing the establishment using explosives. By so doing, the pair expected an increase in the volume of drugs that would be obtainable by Wilson’s pharmacy and the subsequent expansion of their darknet operation.
The court learnt that Wilson created the escape routes that would be used by Burgamy once the plan succeeded. Reportedly, Wilson directed Burgamy to design the firebombing scheme to appear as though it was orchestrated by an individual targeting the owner of the victim pharmacy in a classic “pissed off husband” fictitious scenario.
Ultimately, the feds apprehended Burgamy before the pair managed to execute their plan. Law enforcement agents noted that the suspect had already laid the foundation towards the D-day and a seized notebook indicated that the firebombing attack was meant to happen once the COVID-19 restrictions lapsed.
As it stands, both suspects are looking at spending 20 years behind bars once they are sentenced in November 20.
Otherwise, considering that the 20-year sentence happens to be the maximum for federal crimes, it is worth noting that the two men may be facing a far lesser charge. Such a decision will be made by a federal district court judge who will weigh provisions of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory elements.
