Three Glendale residents and one individual from San Fernando Valley were apprehended on federal charges related to a drug distribution network operating on the darknet. The arrests are part of the Justice Department's JCODE (Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement) efforts.
Four men, Davit Avalyan, 35, Hrant Gevorgyan, 35, Hayk Grigoryan, 35, and Gurgen Nersesyan, 43, face charges of conspiracy to distribute drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, and ketamine. Avalyan has additional charges, including the distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine. Gevorgyan, Grigoryan, and Nersesyan also face separate charges related to drug possession with intent to distribute.
The arrests followed a federal grand jury's 12-count indictment with 116 overt acts that outlined the conspiracy. It alleges that from 2018 to 2025, the defendants operated multiple darknet vendor accounts, fulfilling orders in exchange for cryptocurrency and sending the drugs across the U.S. through the postal service.
An indictment and the charges brought forth are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, the men could face life in federal prison. The operation is part of a broader effort, Operation Take Back America, to dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
Assistant United States Attorney James Santiago of the Transnational Organized Crime Section is handling the prosecution.