GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A Hobart man was sentenced for selling drugs on the “dark web.”
Christopher Bania, 27, was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to his plea agreement, Bania sold drugs nationwide in exchange for cryptocurrency. Among the drugs, Bania pleaded guilty to selling are MDMA (“Ecstasy”), cocaine, DMT, ketamine, LSD, MDA, methaqualone, and marijuana.
Investigators say the “dark web” is an area of the internet that is unreachable by traditional search engines and web browsers. Users need special software to access it.
During sentencing, U.S. District Judge William Griesbach said, “This four-plus year sentence for a first-time offender sends a clear warning about the seriousness of drug trafficking on the dark web. Just because one deals narcotics from home does not mean one can escape the law. I commend the outstanding work of the multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that investigated this case and brought it to a conclusion.”
Bania must also forfeit $1.5 million worth of cryptocurrency and $85,000 in cash previously seized by the government.
