Sacramento, California - Omar Isho, 37, of Modesto, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to five years and 10 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, federal agents began investigating Isho as the operator of vendor account “DrFrosty,” which sold methamphetamine on dark net marketplaces such as the Dream Market, Empire Market, and Silk Road 3.1. Federal agents conducted undercover purchases of methamphetamine from his accounts and were sent methamphetamine hidden inside jigsaw puzzle boxes. On Aug. 8, Isho pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

 “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will continue to identify, investigate and bring to justice criminals, like Isho, who seek to profit from trafficking illegal drugs through online black markets,” said Tatum King, special agent in charge, HSI San Francisco and Northern California. “The result of this multi-agency investigation sends a strong message to drug traffickers that the anonymity of the internet will not prevent law enforcement from executing our public safety mission.  HSI will continue to leverage its global reach with local, state, federal, and foreign law enforcement partnerships to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle hidden illegal networks that pose threats in both cyberspace and in our local communities.”

This case was the product of an investigation by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, a multi-agency taskforce composed of law enforcement agents from HSI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, and the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Quinn Hochhalter prosecuted the case.