A man from Seattle, Washington on Thursday admitted buying 630,000 counterfeit Xanax and other pills on the dark web.
Maximillian Gregory Verbowski, 28, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark to one count each of conspiracy to sell counterfeit drugs, selling counterfeit drugs, and using a fictitious name on mail to commit a crime.
Verbowski admitted using cryptocurrency and cash from October 2019 to August 30, 2021, to buy bulk quantities of counterfeit generic alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug, and other prescription pills and resell them. Verbowski’s source bought drug ingredients from China and used a pill press and stamps to mimic the pill markings used by manufacturers licensed and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The supplier then shipped the pills to post office boxes Verbowski opened using aliases.
The transactions were conducted using the dark web.
The conspiracy charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, the counterfeit drugs charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the mail charge carries a maximum 20-year term. All are also subject to a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
