Melissa Scanlan (a/k/a “The Drug Llama”) has been sentenced to 160 months in federal prison in the 

United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois for trafficking fentanyl 

throughout the United States via the “dark web,” engaging in an international money laundering 

conspiracy, and distributing fentanyl that results in death.

The crimes for which Scanlan was sentenced are as follows: one count of conspiracy to distribute 

fentanyl, five counts of distributing fentanyl, one count of selling counterfeit drugs, one count 

of misbranding drugs, one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and one 

count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. The 32-year old San Diego native pleaded 

guilty to those charges in October 2019. Scanlan’s co-conspirator, Brandon Arias, 34, was 

previously sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his role in the conspiracy.

Facts disclosed in open court revealed that Scanlan and Arias created an account on “Dream Market,” 

a dark web1 marketplace where users buy and sell illegal substances and services, and used that 

account to sell substantial quantities of narcotics while operating under the moniker, “The Drug 

Llama.” The charged fentanyl distribution conspiracy lasted from October 2016 to August 2018, 

during which time Scanlan sold approximately 52,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States.

According to court records, Scanlan and Arias made over $100,000 from their dark web drug 

trafficking and split the money evenly. Court records also demonstrated Scanlan’s participation in 

an international money laundering conspiracy with Mexican cartel members, as well as her role in 

aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl pills to a woman identified as A.W., who later 

died.

Commenting on the case, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft assailed the culture of criminality that 

exists on the dark web. “Criminals like Melissa Scanlan who recklessly flood our communities with 

opioids may think they can evade detection in the shadowy corners and back alleys of the internet. 

But they will find no quarter there. Where they go, we will follow. With the collaboration of 

outstanding investigators at our partner agencies, we will use every tool and method available to 

find these people and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” U.S. Attorney Steven D. 

Weinhoeft also noted that this prosecution further underscores the critical need for Congress to 

permanently criminalize fentanyl analogues.

“Illicit opioid distribution, whether online or through conventional drug distribution methods, and 

the resulting overdoses and deaths are a continuing national crisis; those who contribute to that 

crisis through their illegal actions will be brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge 

Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We are fully 

committed to disrupting and dismantling illegal prescription drug distribution networks that misuse 

the internet at the expense of public health and safety.”

“With accessibility of fentanyl, it is imperative that the Drug Enforcement Administration and its 

law enforcement partners exploit all distribution avenues utilized by drug traffickers in Scanlan’s 

case,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge William J. Callahan of the St. Louis Division. “Scanlan 

distributed poison in our community that resulted in death and she is now being held accountable.”

This case was part of a months-long, coordinated national operation involving the Food and Drug 

Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United 

States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security, United States Customs and 

Border Protection, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, and 

the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek

J. Wiseman is the prosecuting attorney on the case.

1  The dark web is an underground computer network that is unreachable by traditional search engines and Web Browsers. This false cloak has led to a proliferation of criminal marketplaces, like the one used by Scanlan and Arias.

Earlier today, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Brandon 

Arias (a/k/a “The Drug Llama”) was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for conspiring to 

distribute fentanyl throughout the United States via the “dark web.”1 The nine-year sentence 

represents the culmination of a prosecution that began in January 2019, when a superseding 

indictment was filed against Arias (34) and his co-conspirator, Melissa Scanlan (32).

The superseding indictment charged Arias with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, illegally 

distributing fentanyl (five counts), selling counterfeit drugs, and misbranding drugs. He pleaded 

guilty to all eight charges back in July. Scanlan has also pleaded guilty to her role in the 

conspiracy, as well as her participation in an international money laundering conspiracy and a 

separate count of aiding the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. She is scheduled to be 

sentenced on Feb. 10, 2020. Both Arias and Scanlan have been in federal custody since their arrest 

earlier this year.

According to court filings, Arias and Scanlan created an account on “Dream Market,” a dark web 

marketplace where users buy and sell illegal substances and services, and sold substantial 

quantities of narcotics under the moniker, “The Drug Llama.” The pair ran their illicit operation 

from their hometown of San Diego, California. During their nearly two-year run, Arias was actively 

involved in Scanlan’s distribution of 1,000 fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl pills every week. They 

raked in over $100,000 from their dark web drug trafficking and split the proceeds evenly.

Fentanyl is a highly addictive and oftentimes lethal opioid painkiller.

In recent comments, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft assailed the culture of criminality that 

exists on the dark web. “Criminals like Brandon Arias who recklessly flood our communities with 

opioids may think they can evade detection in the shadowy corners and back alleys of the internet. 

But they will find no quarter there. Where they go, we will follow. With the collaboration of 

outstanding investigators at our partner agencies, we will use every tool and method available to 

find these people and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

Footnote 1: The dark web is an underground computer network that is unreachable by traditional search engines and users. This false cloak has led to a proliferation of dark web marketplaces, like the one used by Arias.

“Illicit opioid distribution, whether online or through conventional drug distribution methods, and 

the resulting overdoses and deaths are a continuing national crisis; those who contribute to that 

crisis through their illegal actions will be brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge 

Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We are fully 

committed to disrupting and dismantling illegal prescription drug distribution networks that misuse 

the internet at the expense of public health and safety.”

“Drug traffickers who operate from the dark corners of the internet are not immune from arrest and 

prosecution,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge William Callahan of the St. Louis Division. “The 

men and women of the DEA and our law enforcement partners are well positioned to investigate, 

locate, and arrest cyber drug traffickers, and their co-conspirators, who spread their poison in 

the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan area, no matter where they operate from.”

This case was part of a months-long, coordinated national operation involving the Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI), the Drug Enforcement Administration 

(DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, 

and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern Dist ict of Illinois. Assistant   U.S.

Attorney Derek J. Wiseman is the prosecuting attorney on the case.

 

CALIFORNIA WOMAN KNOWN AS “THE DRUG LLAMA” PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY, TRAFFICKING FENTANYL ON THE 

DARK WEB, INTERNATIONAL MONEY LAUNDERING, AND FENTANYL DISTRIBUTION RESULTING IN DEATH

This afternoon, Melissa Scanlan, 32, appeared at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis, 

Illinois, and pleaded guilty to all ten felony charges pending against her in the Southern District 

of Illinois, admitting her role in a nearly two-year conspiracy to distribute fentanyl throughout 

the United States via the “dark web.”1 Scanlan was one of two people known on the dark web as “The 

Drug Llama.” The other person, co-defendant Brandon Arias, 34, pleaded guilty to all eight charges 

against him earlier this year. Both Scanlan and Arias are natives of San Diego, California.

The ten charges to which Scanlan pleaded guilty are as follows: one count of conspiracy to 

distribute fentanyl, five counts of distributing fentanyl, one count of selling counterfeit drugs, 

one count of misbranding drugs, one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, 

and one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.

Fentanyl is a highly addictive and oftentimes lethal opioid painkiller.

As part of her guilty plea, Scanlan admitted that she and Arias created an account on “Dream 

Market,” a dark web marketplace where users buy and sell illegal substances and services, and used 

that account to sell substantial quantities of narcotics while operating under the moniker, “The 

Drug Llama.” The charged fentanyl distribution conspiracy lasted from October 2016 to August 2018, 

during which time Scanlan sold approximately 52,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States.

1 The dark web is an underground computer network that is unreachable by traditional search engines 

and web browsers, creating a seeming anonymity to users. This false cloak has led to a 

proliferation of criminal activity on dark web marketplaces, like the one used by Scanlan and

rias.

According to court records, Scanlan and Arias made over $100,000 from their dark web drug 

trafficking and split the money evenly. Scanlan further admitted her participation in an 

international money laundering conspiracy with Mexican cartel members, as well as her role in 

aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl pills to a woman identified as A.W., who died as a 

result of taking those pills.

Commenting on the case, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft assailed the culture of criminality that 

exists on the dark web. “Criminals like Melissa Scanlan who recklessly flood our communities with 

opioids may think they can evade detection in the shadowy corners and back alleys of the internet. 

But they will find no quarter there. Where they go, we will follow. With the collaboration of 

outstanding investigators at our partner agencies, we will use every tool and method available to 

find these people and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Illicit opioid distribution, whether online or through conventional drug distribution methods, and 

the resulting overdoses and deaths are a continuing national crisis; those who contribute to that 

crisis through their illegal actions will be brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge 

Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We are fully 

committed to disrupting and dismantling illegal prescription drug distribution networks that misuse 

the internet at the expense of public health and safety.”

“With accessibility of fentanyl, it is imperative that the Drug Enforcement Administration and its 

law enforcement partners exploit all distribution avenues utilized by drug traffickers in Scanlan’s 

case,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge William J. Callahan of the St. Louis Division. “Scanlan 

distributed poison in our community that resulted in death and she is now being held accountable.”

Scanlan has been held in federal custody since her September 2018 arrest. Her case is set for 

sentencing before the Honorable Nancy J. Rosenstengel, Chief United States District Judge for the 

Southern District of Illinois, on February 10, 2020, at 1:30 pm. By law, Scanlan faces no less than 

20 years in prison for distributing fentanyl resulting in death. She could receive up to life 

imprisonment and as much as $10 million in fines.

This case was part of a months-long, coordinated national operation involving the Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI), the Drug Enforcement Administration 

(DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security (HSI), 

United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the United States Attorney’s Office for the 

Southern District of California, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District 

of Illinois. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek J. Wiseman is the prosecuting attorney

on this case.

 

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Prosecutes Dark Web Drug Distributor



Earlier today, Brandon Arias pleaded guilty in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois to conspiring to distribute fentanyl throughout the United States via the “dark web.” As part of his plea, the 34-year old from San Diego, California admitted that he was one of two individuals known on the dark web as “The Drug Llama,” and that he knowingly distributed misbranded fentanyl pills throughout the United States from October 2016 to August 2018.



Fentanyl is a highly addictive and oftentimes lethal opioid painkiller.



In January 2019, a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Illinois returned a superseding indictment charging Arias and his co-defendant, Melissa Scanlan, with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, illegally distributing fentanyl (5 counts), selling counterfeit drugs, and misbranding drugs. Arias was arrested in San Diego and made his initial appearance in the Southern District of Illinois on March 12. At the time, he entered a not guilty plea and was ordered held without bond pending trial.



In court today, Arias pleaded guilty to all eight charges pending against him, admitting that he and Scanlan created and maintained an account on “Dream Market,” a dark web marketplace for illegal substances and services. Through that account, Arias and Scanlan sold substantial quantities of narcotics while operating under the moniker, “The Drug Llama.” Arias further admitted being actively involved in Scanlan’s distribution of 1,000 fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl pills every week.



The dark web is an underground computer network that is unreachable by traditional search engines and web browsers, creating a seeming anonymity to users. This false cloak has led to a proliferation of criminal activity on dark web marketplaces, like Dream Market.



Despite the identity veil that the dark web seemingly provides, participants in illegal activity are not shielded from the long arm of the law. “People think they are anonymous when they use the dark web,” U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft commented, “but the drugs and money are here, in the real world, and our agents will work tirelessly to connect the illegal contraband to the criminals hiding within the shroud of the dark web.” U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft gave special recognition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations, whose agents worked to “pull the Drug Llama enterprise out of the shadows of the dark web.”



“The opioid crisis has evolved and so has the nature of the threat, with potent synthetic opioids representing a sharply increasing amount of the total exposure to these drugs, further fueling the opioid addiction crisis,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D. “The FDA has expanded our enforcement efforts to include increased interdiction work aimed at stopping the illegal flow of counterfeit and unapproved prescription opioid drugs, like illicit fentanyl, online including on the dark web. We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who threaten the health and safety of Americans by illegally distributing prescription drugs.”

“Drug traffickers who operate from the dark corners of the internet are not immune from arrest and prosecution” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge William Callahan of the St. Louis Division. “The men and women of the DEA and our law enforcement partners are well positioned to investigate, locate, and arrest cyber drug traffickers, and their co-conspirators, who spread their poison in the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan area, no matter where they operate from.”

“The traditional drug dealing mechanics have changed, but law enforcement has changed with it,” said U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr., of the Southern District of California, who shared in U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft’s accolades of the multi-agency collaboration in this important prosecution. “This case, like others being prosecuted throughout the United States, demonstrates that hiding behind a cloak of anonymity on the dark web, no matter where you are, will be pierced and uncovered by investigators, and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Arias is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2019, at the United States District Court in East St. Louis, Illinois. His sentence will be determined by the court and will be guided by the United States Sentencing Guidelines. Scanlan, 31, has pleaded not guilty and remains in federal custody awaiting her trial, currently set for August 27, 2019, in East St. Louis. Members of the public are reminded that all criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was part of a months-long, coordinated national operation involving the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security (HSI), United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek J. Wiseman is the prosecuting attorney on this case.

 

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Shines a Light into the Dark Web

A San Diego resident has been indicted in the Southern District of Illinois for conspiring to distribute fentanyl throughout the United States via the "dark web," U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft announced today. The charges carry a mandatory minimum 10 year prison sentence.

The indictment alleges that Melissa Scanlan, 31, of San Diego, California, who is known on the dark web as "The Drug Llama," conspired to distribute misbranded fentanyl pills throughout the United States. Fentanyl is a highly addictive and oftentimes lethal opioid painkiller. According to the indictment, the fentanyl distribution conspiracy lasted from at least October 1, 2016, and continued until August 2, 2018. The indictment also alleges that Scanlan was part of an international money laundering conspiracy.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, that charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Scanlan was arrested in San Diego and made her first court appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on September 6, 2018. At her detention hearing on Monday, September 17, 2018, prosecutors alleged that Scanlan was responsible for shipping over 50,000 fentanyl pills across the country, including into southern Illinois. Scanlan was ordered detained based on risk of flight and danger to the community pending her removal to the Southern District of Illinois to face charges.

The dark web is a part of the internet that is unreachable by traditional search engines and web browsers. Websites on the dark web have complex web addresses generated by a computer algorithm and must be accessed using special software that is capable of connecting to "The Onion Router" network, or "TOR" for short. The TOR network is encrypted and routes internet traffic dynamically through a series of computers around the world, concealing the true Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the computers accessing the network and thereby making internet use virtually anonymous. This perceived anonymity has led to a proliferation of criminal activity on dark web

marketplaces, like "Dream Market," where users can find vendors offering illegal goods and services for sale.

The indictment against Scanlan alleges that she conspired with others to operate an illegal drug distribution business on one of those dark web marketplaces using the moniker "The Drug Llama." It is further alleged that Scanlan and her co-conspirators distributed more than 400 grams of fentanyl throughout the United States.

This case was part of a months-long, coordinated national operation involving the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security (HSI), United States Customs and Border Protection (CPB), the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois.

"The dark web is a dangerous underworld where anonymous web browsers and cryptocurrencies combine to create the perfect breeding ground for criminal activity," said United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. "We will continue to shine light into the dark web to expose those who lurk in the shadows of the internet." Weinhoeft credited the leadership of the Federal Drug Administration for dedicating technical resources to further this important opioid investigation.

"The dark web is a virtual marketplace for drug dealers and other criminals who are seeking the anonymity that only the digital world can provide," said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman for the Southern District of California. "But there’s nowhere we won’t go to find them, particularly when fentanyl is involved and lives are at stake. The key to success is relentless pursuit and collaboration with our law enforcement partners around the country."

"Illegal opioid distribution and the resulting overdoses and deaths are an enormous national crisis," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. "Our agency will continue to disrupt and dismantle illegal prescription drug distribution networks that misuse the internet at the expense of public health and safety."

"The Drug Enforcement Administration, along with our local, state and federal partners will continue to work relentlessly to track down those who traffic in pharmaceutical narcotics illegally," said Special Agent in Charge William J. Callahan of the DEA St. Louis Division. "Pharmaceutical narcotics are meant to be taken under the supervision and guidance of a medical professional and are not safe outside of that medical relationship. As a community we must work together to educate and prevent the misuse and abuse of pharmaceutical narcotics and as a law enforcement agency we will continue to track down traffickers who believe they can hide behind anonymity on the dark web."

U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft recognized the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, FDA, DEA, HSI, CPB, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and other state and federal partners for their work in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Derek J. Wiseman.