LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Four Southern California men have been federally charged in connection with a large-scale drug distribution ring that allegedly operated through darknet marketplaces, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced Thursday.
The indictment names Davit Avalyan, 35; Hrant Gevorgyan, 35; and Hayk Grigoryan, 35, all of Glendale, along with Gurgen Nersesyan, 43, of Sherman Oaks. The suspects were arrested on Wednesday and arraigned in U.S. District Court the same day.
The 12-count indictment, returned on April 1, outlines 116 alleged overt acts tied to the sale of cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA (Ecstasy), and ketamine through approximately 10 darknet vendor accounts across 17 online marketplaces.
Authorities say the group used online aliases such as JoyInc, WhiteDoc, PlanetHollywood, and DaShop to traffic drugs across the U.S., accepting payment in cryptocurrency. Shipments were allegedly made using U.S. Postal Service facilities throughout Los Angeles County and other areas.
Each of the four defendants faces a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Additional charges include:
Davit Avalyan: Distribution of cocaine, MDMA, and methamphetamine
Hrant Gevorgyan: Possession with intent to distribute MDMA and ketamine
Gurgen Nersesyan: Multiple methamphetamine-related charges, plus possession with intent to distribute cocaine and MDMA
Hayk Grigoryan: Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
All four defendants pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to go to trial on June 3.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized the scale of the operation and the use of modern technology to mask illicit drug trafficking activities, calling it a “sophisticated scheme” targeting customers nationwide.
