Crime

Mass. man charged with selling drugs, machine guns over Telegram app

The 26-year-old man allegedly sold thousands of counterfeit pills and other contraband to undercover law enforcement.

Authorities say law enforcement seized a “large quantity” of suspected fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, morphine codeine, mushrooms, firearms, and firearm accessories from a Fall River man who was arrested Wednesday and charged with selling drugs and machine guns on the Telegram app. Department of Justice

By Lindsay Shachnow

August 30, 2024

1 minute to read

A Fall River man was arrested Wednesday and charged with selling drugs and machine guns on the Telegram app, officials say.

Benjamin Hunt, 26, allegedly advertised drugs, firearms, and other contraband on the app and sold the items for Bitcoin, shipping them around the country, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.

“Hunt’s arrest should give fair warning that trafficking in narcotics and firearms on encrypted applications does not give anonymity,” Ketty Larco-Ward, inspector in charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, said in the statement. “Working collaboratively with our law enforcement partners, investigations like this highlight our ever-evolving abilities to identify and locate suspects engaged in similar conduct.”

Hunt also allegedly sold “ghost guns,” which are firearms that are “assembled or otherwise produced by a person other than a licensed manufacturer, typically without a serial number,” the statement said.

In February and May of this year, Hunt allegedly sold a total of over 600 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl to undercover law enforcement in exchange for Bitcoin, and in June, law enforcement made another purchase from Hunt: a Glock-type privately made firearm without a serial number, two switches or machine gun conversion devices, 110 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, an extended magazine, and 3D-printed brass knuckles, authorities say.

Court documents show that Hunt allegedly mailed another package with 1,600 counterfeit pills to undercover law enforcement.

Additionally, officials say law enforcement intercepted several of Hunt’s packages including one with a smoke grenade and another with 13 switches.

A “large quantity” of suspected fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, morphine codeine, mushrooms, firearms, and firearm accessories were seized from Hunt, the statement said.

Hunt was charged by criminal complaint with three counts of distribution of controlled substances and one count of transferring machineguns, authorities said. He has been detained pending a hearing scheduled for Sept. 5.

“The sheer volume of drugs and firearms seized during this investigation highlights the significant threat posed by these activities,” Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy said in the statement. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect the public from the scourge of illegal drugs and violent crime.”