Fall River Man Arrested for Selling Drugs and Machineguns on Telegram App

BOSTON – A Fall River man was arrested yesterday and charged with selling drugs and machineguns that he advertised on the Telegram app.

Benjamin Hunt, 26, was charged by criminal complaint with three counts of distribution of controlled substances and one count of transferring machineguns. Hunt was arrested yesterday morning, and following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was detained pending a hearing scheduled for Sept. 5, 2024.

As described in court documents, Hunt allegedly advertised drugs, firearms and other contraband on Telegram, a cloud-based application. Hunt would then allegedly use the U.S. mail to ship drugs, firearms and other contraband around the country in exchange for payment via Bitcoin. Specifically, Hunt allegedly used Telegram to advertise various types of controlled substances, including counterfeit pharmaceutical pills containing fentanyl and other drugs. It is alleged that he also used Telegram to sell firearms and firearm parts including privately made firearms, commonly referred to as “ghost guns.” According to court documents, ghost guns are firearms assembled or otherwise produced by a person other than a licensed manufacturer, typically without a serial number, as well as machinegun conversion devices, commonly referred to as “switches,” which are designed to convert firearms into fully automatic weapons.  

On two separate occasions in February and May 2024, Hunt allegedly used Telegram to sell 100 and 500 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, respectively, to undercover law enforcement in exchange for Bitcoin. In both instances, Hunt allegedly shipped the narcotics via U.S. mail after receiving Bitcoin payment. 

It is further alleged that, in June 2024, law enforcement made another undercover purchase from Hunt via Telegram, this time of a Glock-type privately made firearm without a serial number, two switches or machinegun conversion devices, 110 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, an extended magazine and 3D printed brass knuckles.

According to court documents, earlier this week, Hunt allegedly mailed another package containing 1,600 counterfeit pills believed to contain fentanyl to undercover law enforcement in exchange for Bitcoin. 

Law enforcement also intercepted multiple packages allegedly being sent to or from Hunt, including one package sent by him that contained a smoke grenade and one package sent to an address associated with him that contained 13 switches or machinegun conversion devices.

 
As further described in court documents, law enforcement executed multiple search warrants that led to the seizure of significant quantities and types of drugs, in addition to the seizure of an arsenal of firearms. Among other things, a large quantity suspected fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, morphine codeine, and mushrooms; approximately 10 firearms; several machine gun conversion devices; several silencers; several extended magazines, including with a large capacity drum; significant amounts of ammunition; many privately made firearm parts and accessories; and 3D printers capable of producing the seized privately made firearms were seized during the search.

“This arrest underscores our commitment to dismantling dangerous networks that use technology to facilitate the illegal distribution of deadly drugs and highly dangerous and illegal firearms. As alleged, Mr. Hunt exploited encrypted messaging platforms and the anonymity of cryptocurrency to peddle lethal narcotics and untraceable weapons, endangering communities across the country. The sheer volume of drugs and firearms seized during this investigation highlights the significant threat posed by these activities. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect the public from the scourge of illegal drugs and violent crime,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.

“As we all know, drug trafficking in our communities, along with the gun and physical violence that often accompanies it, is a serious threat to our families and communities,” said Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “These crimes rob the neighborhoods of safety and hold law abiding citizens of Massachusetts hostage to drug fueled lawlessness.  This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. DEA and its local, state and federal partners are dedicated to investigating anyone that commits these crimes.”

“ATF is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and dismantle the sources of illegal drugs in our communities,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division. “Drugs are often found alongside guns, so we are also taking decisive action to prevent the illegal sale and use of machine gun conversion devices.”

“Hunt’s arrest should give fair warning that trafficking in narcotics and firearms on encrypted applications does not give anonymity.  Working collaboratively with our law enforcement partners, investigations like this highlight our ever-evolving abilities to identify and locate suspects engaged in similar conduct. The use of the U.S. Mail to distribute illicit substances and illegal firearms will not be tolerated and Postal Inspectors here in Massachusetts, and across the country are aggressively investigating these types of cases,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. 

The charges of distribution of controlled substances each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of transfer of machineguns provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, DEA Acting SAC Belleau, ATF SAC Ferguson and USPIS INC Larco-Ward made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New England; the Massachusetts State Police; and the Attleboro, Fairhaven, Fall River, New Bedford, Norton, Scituate and Taunton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane and Kunal Pasricha of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.