A Florida man was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for leading a dark web drug trafficking operation that distributed large quantities of a wide variety of drugs.
According to court records, 29-year-old Anton Peck and his accomplices sold large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin through the moniker “Syntropy” on multiple dark web marketplaces including World Market, White House Market, and Dark0de Market, from at least May 2021 through May 2022.
Anton Peck, right and Kevin Fusco, left
Law enforcement in Miami launched investigations into the “Syntropy” vendor profile in July 2021 and made undercover purchases from the vendor on multiple dark web marketplaces. On January 20, 2023, the investigators allegedly identified one of Peck’s co-conspirators, 34-year-old Kevin Fusco as the mailer of the drug packages purchased from Syntropy.
The agents consequently put Fusco under surveillance and as a result, intercepted and seized more than 200 drug packages Fusco had mailed. The seizure resulted in the recovery of undisclosed quantities of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and ketamine.
The investigators arrested Fusco on March 10, 2022, and executed multiple search warrants. The searches resulted in the seizure of large quantities of undisclosed drugs, USPS shipping materials, packaging materials, scales, elecronic devices, and other items used in drug trafficking.
On being questioned in his attorney’s presence Fusco allegedly told the investigators that he met Peck at a halfway house in 2019. Both Peck and Fusco had served time in federal prison for selling drugs on the dark web. Fusco also disclosed that Peck had been paying him $2500 a week to mail drug packages.
The investigators launched an investigation against Peck following Fusco’s revelations. The investigators made more undercover purchases from Syntropy and set up surveillance of Peck. The agents observed Peck on multiple occasions as he dropped packages into USPS mail drop boxes. The investigators intercepted the packages and seized varying quantities of different drugs.
In total, the agents recovered kilos of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin from the defendants in the course of the operation. The investigators also gained access to a list of alleged buyers’ details including dark web usernames, shipping addresses, and drugs ordered.
Peck pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks to 16 years in prison on December 1, 2022.
Fusco was sentenced to 11 years in prison on November 4, 2022, after he admitted he conspired in the distribution of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine.
Peck’s second accomplice, 31-year-old Vincent Banner, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. He will be sentenced on February 10, 2023.
