A woman was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison after being found guilty of selling date-rape drugs over the internet, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Hyun Ji Martin, 40, sold gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), popularly known as “the date rape drug,” over the dark web, according to court records.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service Parcel Task Force officers observed Martin, an Irving woman, dropping off 15 parcels at the post office on November 6, 2020.
The officers found approximately 208 ml of a clear liquid which they believed to be GHB or an analog known as gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), in two of Martin’s packages after they withheld them for investigation. Martin concealed the liquid in a contact lens solution bottle.
Court documents also showed that officers found large quantities of contact lens solution bottles, USPS shipping supplies, GBL, GHB, methamphetamine, and a lab she used for converting GBL to GHB after executing a search warrant of Martin’s apartment on June 3, 2021.
Martin told investigators during questioning that she routinely ordered GBL from China and converted some of it to GHB. She added that she sold both GBL and GHB on the dark web.
Eventually, investigators identified over 1,600 outgoing packages associated with Martin. The defendant sent most of those packages using fake names and addresses.
Martin was charged in June 2021 with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. She pleaded guilty to the charge in August 2021. However, she absconded shortly after pleading guilty to the charge.
Martin was later re-arrested in June 2022 and transported back to North Texas for sentencing. Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means sentenced the defendant to 151 months in federal prison on August 11.
Thomas Noyes, inspector in charge of the Postal Inspection Service’s Fort Worth Division, released a statement after the sentencing saying his agency will not stop pursuing individuals flooding the streets with dangerous drugs.
“This sentencing represents our commitment to safeguarding the mail from illicit drug trafficking and bringing those responsible to justice,” Noyes said. “We thank all those who helped in achieving this outcome.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s North Texas Parcel Task Force, alongside the Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s South Central Lab and U.S. Customs & Border Patrol assisted in the investigation. U.S. Attorney Rob Boudreau prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Lo Galbo.
