NY man admits making $1.2m from fake opioids, currency

A man from Utica, New York, has pleaded guilty to charges relating to the sale of more than $1.2m-worth of counterfeit opioid medicines and US banknotes via the dark web.

Albie Pagan (65) operated under the name Hook3d  on various dark web marketplaces including AlphaBay, Apollon, Avaris, Cryptonia, Dark Market, Darkode, Dream, Nightmare, and Wall Street.

He is accused of offering for sale prescription opioids including oxycodone, hydromorphone, hydrocodone and other medications like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug  Adderall, as well as counterfeit $10 and $20 bills.

On Wall Street alone Pagan sold more than $325,000 in fake banknotes and more than $1m in counterfeit opioids. He sold another $90,000-worth of illegal medicines on AlphaBay, and made $132,000 from fake pills and currency on Dark Market.

Pagan pleaded guilty to distribution of controlled substances and selling counterfeit currency. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 24 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.