A man described by law enforcement as a darknet fentanyl dealer who went by the moniker Fent4U has been found guilty of multiple drug crimes and possession of child pornography.
A jury convicted 55-year-old Sean Shaughnessy last week after five hours of deliberation and just four days of trial.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton announced the outcome in a Friday press release.
“Drug traffickers who think operating on the darknet will shield them from prosecution should think again,” Simonton said. “We will scour the darkest recesses of the internet to find those dealing fentanyl, a drug that shatters lives and wrecks futures.
“We are grateful to the many agents and officers — both in uniform and undercover — that worked together to arrest Mr. Shaughnessy, and to the jurors who thoughtfully weighed the evidence and voted to convict.”
Shaughnessy was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue, distribution of controlled substances, and possession of child pornography. (The term “analogue” refers to prescription drugs that are chemically similar to illegal narcotics.)
At the trial, evidence showed that Shaughnessy sold fentanyl, carfentanil (an elephant tranquilizer), and pentedrone, along with fentanyl and pentedrone analogues.
Buyers purchased the drugs on dark web marketplaces using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, which Shaughnessy then shipped out.
At the trial, several of Shaughnessy’s former customers testified that he sold them high-potency fentanyl and its analogues and that the drugs arrived at their homes in the DFW area.
According to the release, one of Shaughnessy’s customers — a young man in his 20s who purchased fentanyl analogues — died from an overdose after receiving the drugs.
A Homeland Security Investigations special agent provided testimony at the trial regarding an elaborate undercover operation that exposed Shaughnessy’s activities.
The agent revealed that Shaughnessy, while involved in the illicit drug trade, had directed a substantial amount of money derived from these illegal activities to be sent to him in the Dallas area.
During the proceedings, another agent testified that when law enforcement questioned Shaughnessy, he suggested that agents would have to “check his taxes” to determine what he did for work.
Law enforcement authorities contacted the Internal Revenue Service, which revealed that Shaughnessy had not filed taxes for the relevant periods.
Compelling evidence was presented to the jury, including a video capturing Shaughnessy’s arrest at an Irving motel in July 2016.
The footage apparently displayed the defendant with visible white powder around his nose as officers handcuffed him.
Bodycam footage also reportedly revealed that during the arrest Shaughnessy removed and dropped a baggie of drugs from his pocket before attempting to discreetly kick it out of the officer’s line of sight.
After officers noticed the baggie and confronted Shaughnessy with the evidence, he denied it was his despite the bodycam video.
No further detail was provided regarding the child pornography charges.
Shaughnessy faces up to 80 years in federal prison.
According to the daily crime analytics dashboard, the City of Dallas is no stranger to drug-related crimes, with 3,532 reported in the first four months of this year, an 11.24% increase over the previous year.
Meanwhile, crime in downtown Dallas continues to plague the city as the Dallas Police Department faces a shortage of officers, as was recently reported by The Dallas Express. The department currently employs just over 3,100 officers, a number Chief Eddie Garcia told The Dallas Express is “hundreds” shy of an ideal number.
In neighboring Fort Worth, the downtown area is patrolled by a dedicated police unit and has a much lower crime rate than downtown Dallas.
