A man and a woman from Boca Raton, Florida, have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to manufacture and sell counterfeit drugs through the dark web. Michael Basalyga, 36, received an 80-month sentence, while Reina Chirinos de Urena, 39, was sentenced to 45 months by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier on October 9.
Court documents indicate that Basalyga and Chirinos de Urena collaborated with others—Omar Thomas Wala, Vienna Cavanaugh, and Philbert Campbell—to produce fake alprazolam pills. The pills were made to resemble legitimate products and stamped with authentic-looking numbers but contained substances such as clonazolam and etizolam intended to mimic alprazolam’s effects.
The group sold these counterfeit drugs both directly to customers and through darknet marketplaces using pseudonyms. Buyers used cryptocurrency for transactions throughout the United States, including Kentucky.
Federal law requires Basalyga and Chirinos de Urena to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences before release. After prison, both will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for two years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the sentences.
“The investigation was conducted by the DEA, with assistance from the FBI, IRS, and United States Postal Inspection Service,” according to the announcement. “Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosenberg is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.”
