Glendale Darknet Kingpin Gets Nearly 5 Years in Federal Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Drug Empire

In a major blow to the shadowy world of darknet narcotics trafficking, 36-year-old Davit Avalyan of Glendale, California, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for his central role in a sprawling online drug distribution network that operated across the United States for nearly seven years.

The sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson in Los Angeles, marks the final chapter in a federal investigation that dismantled what prosecutors describe as one of the most sophisticated and prolific darknet drug operations in recent history.

From Dark Web Anonymity to Federal Custody

Avalyan’s journey from alleged darknet drug lord to federal inmate represents the culmination of a complex investigation by the FBI’s Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team. The operation, which ran from September 2018 through February 2025, utilized a sophisticated network of darknet vendor accounts across multiple underground marketplaces to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, and ketamine to customers nationwide.

The case against Avalyan and his three co-conspirators—Hayk Grigoryan (known online as Hayk Greg), Gurgen Nersesyan (operating as Guro Tiko), and Hrant Gevorgyan—revealed an operation that prosecutors say was both technologically advanced and ruthlessly efficient.

While Avalyan received a 57-month sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute narcotics in October 2025, his accomplices received significantly harsher punishments. Grigoryan was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Nersesyan to 43 months, and Gevorgyan to 24 months, demonstrating the court’s view of their varying levels of involvement and culpability in the enterprise.

The Digital Drug Empire: Storefronts with Names Like “PlanetHollywood” and “JoyInc”

Court documents obtained by BleepingComputer paint a picture of an operation that was as brazen as it was technologically sophisticated. The group maintained multiple vendor accounts across numerous darknet marketplaces, with names that might seem innocuous to the uninitiated but were well-known among dark web drug buyers.

The network operated storefronts with names like JoyInc, PlanetHollywood, LaFarmacia, WhiteDoc, JanesAddiction, DaShop, WhiteRepublic, Tomorrowland, DopeValley, and Major2Minor. These weren’t small-time operations—they were among the most prolific drug distributors ever to operate on the darknet.

“JoyInc, one of the network’s primary accounts, is believed to have launched as early as 2018 and is considered among the most prolific methamphetamine and cocaine distributors ever to operate on the darknet,” prosecutors stated in court filings.

The operation’s reach was staggering. According to the indictment, these vendors sold cocaine, methamphetamine, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and ketamine to drug customers across the United States in exchange for cryptocurrency, primarily Bitcoin and Monero. The drugs were then shipped throughout the country via the United States Postal Service, creating a nationwide distribution network that operated entirely in the shadows of the internet.

The Technology Behind the Trafficking

What made this operation particularly noteworthy wasn’t just its scale, but the technological sophistication employed by the defendants. The group maintained active accounts on numerous darknet marketplaces, including Dream Market, Wallstreet, Empire, Silk Road 3.1, ToRReZ, Dark0de, World Market, Tor2Door, alphabay, Incognito, ASAP, Ares, MGM Grand, Archetyp, Abacus, DrugHub, and DarkMatter.

This multi-platform approach allowed the defendants to maintain their operations even as individual marketplaces were shut down or compromised. When one marketplace fell, they simply shifted their inventory and customer base to another, demonstrating the resilience and adaptability of modern darknet criminal enterprises.

The use of cryptocurrency added another layer of complexity to the investigation. By transacting in Bitcoin and Monero, the defendants attempted to obscure the financial trail that typically leads law enforcement to criminal enterprises. Monero, in particular, is known for its enhanced privacy features that make transactions extremely difficult to trace.

The Investigation: A Multi-Agency Effort

The successful prosecution of Avalyan and his co-conspirators represents a significant victory for law enforcement agencies working to combat darknet drug trafficking. The FBI’s JCODE team led the investigation, coordinating efforts with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the IRS Criminal Investigation division, and the Los Angeles Police Department.

This multi-agency approach was crucial to the investigation’s success, combining the FBI’s cyber expertise, the Postal Inspection Service’s knowledge of mail fraud and trafficking, the DEA’s drug enforcement capabilities, the IRS’s financial investigation skills, and local law enforcement’s community connections and intelligence gathering.

The investigation likely involved sophisticated techniques including blockchain analysis to trace cryptocurrency transactions, undercover operations on darknet marketplaces, physical surveillance of mail drop locations, and financial record analysis to connect the digital transactions to real-world identities.

A Broader Trend: The Darknet Drug Trade

The Glendale case is far from isolated. In recent months, several major darknet drug operations have been dismantled by law enforcement agencies worldwide. Just earlier this month, a Taiwanese man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for operating Incognito Market, a massive online narcotics marketplace linked to over $105 million in illegal drug sales.

In January, a Slovakian national pleaded guilty to helping operate a darknet marketplace that sold not only narcotics but also cybercrime services, fake government IDs, and stolen personal information for more than two years. And in a separate case, a Virginia man who co-created the Empire Market dark web marketplace admitted to federal drug conspiracy charges for facilitating $430 million in illegal transactions.

These cases collectively paint a picture of a thriving underground economy that operates in the darkest corners of the internet. The darknet has become a major marketplace for illegal drugs, with vendors offering everything from prescription medications to powerful synthetic opioids, all delivered directly to customers’ doorsteps through the regular mail system.

The Sentencing and Its Implications

Avalyan’s 57-month sentence, while significant, is notably less severe than those handed down to some of his co-conspirators. This disparity likely reflects his specific role in the operation, the evidence against him, and potentially his cooperation with prosecutors. However, the sentence still represents a substantial period of incarceration that will likely serve as a deterrent to others considering similar criminal enterprises.

The case also highlights the increasing sophistication of law enforcement in combating darknet crime. The successful investigation and prosecution demonstrate that even the most technologically advanced criminal operations are not beyond the reach of determined investigators equipped with the right tools and interagency cooperation.

The Future of Darknet Drug Trafficking

As law enforcement becomes more adept at infiltrating and dismantling darknet operations, the question remains: what’s next for the online drug trade? Criminal enterprises are likely to continue evolving their tactics, potentially moving to even more secure communication platforms, developing new methods of cryptocurrency laundering, or shifting to alternative distribution methods that are harder for law enforcement to detect.

The Glendale case serves as a reminder that the darknet, while offering a degree of anonymity to its users, is not an impenetrable fortress. With sufficient resources, expertise, and interagency cooperation, law enforcement can and does successfully target even the most sophisticated criminal operations operating in the digital shadows.

The sentencing of Davit Avalyan and his co-conspirators represents not just the end of one criminal enterprise, but a statement of intent from law enforcement: that the darknet is not a lawless frontier, and that those who choose to exploit its anonymity for criminal purposes will ultimately face justice in the real world.

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