A man from Crystal Lake has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine through online platforms.
James Ettleson, 39, received a 100-month federal prison sentence on Feb. 9 at a federal courthouse in Rockford after pleading guilty to distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Ettleson admitted that between September 2022 and May 2024, he repeatedly ordered controlled substances through the mail using the “dark web.” After receiving the drugs, he allegedly used Facebook to advertise and sell the substances.
Investigators said that in April 2023, Ettleson arranged the sale of a package containing more than 113 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer.
Ettleson later pleaded guilty in 2025 to the charges related to the online drug distribution scheme.
The sentencing brings an end to the federal case involving the dark web drug trafficking operation, which authorities say involved ordering drugs through anonymous online marketplaces and reselling them through social media platforms.
