SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) -- A Sioux Falls man has been busted in the first nationwide undercover operation targeting peddlers of illicit goods on the so-called Darknet.
John Edward Monette, 49, has been indicted on drug charges.
The operation, conducted by several federal agencies, busted more than 35 individuals and seized $23.6 million in weapons, drugs and other goods.
Monette is accused of using Bitcoin for cash on numerous occasions, totaling $19,000. He has also been identified as the intended recipient of numerous international mail seizures containing the synthetic drug known as Ecstasy.
“Criminals believing that their illicit activities on the so-called Darknet will elude the attention of law enforcement had better think again,” says U.S. Attorney for South Dakota, Ron Parson, “This operation is just the beginning.”
More than 50 Darknet vendor accounts have been identified, with such online names as Silk Road, AlphaBay and Hansa.