A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court for selling methamphetamine and heroin on the dark web.
John M. LeCoque, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered LeCoque to forfeit to the government $22,000, representing proceeds obtained from his illegal drug trafficking.
On Aug. 16, 2023, LeCoque pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.
LeCoque admitted that he sold illegal drugs over the dark web via an online marketplace called White House Market from May 15, 2020, to Aug. 6, 2021.
Federal agents used cryptocurrency to purchase methamphetamine and heroin from LeCoque through an undercover account on two occasions in 2021. Agents executed a search warrant at LeCoque’s residence on May 27, 2021. Agents seized methamphetamine and heroin from his apartment. Agents also found a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun and ammunition inside a locked safe.
Federal agents executed a search warrant of LeCoque’s online vendor account and located information for 279 orders of illegal drugs from May 2020 to May 2021, including a total of 604 grams of methamphetamine and 234 grams of heroin.
Several months later, in August 2021, LeCoque advertised a “final sale” on his dark web vendor account.
According to court documents, LeCoque advertised his product to countless users, marketing his methamphetamine as “Rural Mos finest crystal methamphetamine” and advertising his heroin as “high-potency brown powder heroin, cut with just enough lactose to make it easy to snort and prevent clumping.” Records from LeCoque’s account and statements made by LeCoque indicate he was grossing over $10,000 per month through his online drug sales.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
