CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — A Fayette County man was sentenced to prison to be followed by supervised release for possessing drugs he ordered off the dark web.
According to court records, Joshua Lee Parsons, 42, of Powellton, confessed he ordered drugs on the dark web and had the substances shipped to his home.
On Feb. 24, 2021, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the John F. Kennedy International Mail Center discovered about 49 grams of heroin in an incoming package addressed to Parsons.
On March 1, 2021, agents at the mail facility once again found 34 grams of MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, in an incoming package addressed to Parsons. Then, on March 8, 2021, law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery of the package and executed a search warrant at Parson’s residence. Officers found a loaded handgun and large amounts of multiple drugs, including 66 grams of methamphetamine packaged in 103 baggies, about 27 grams of heroin, and quantities of MDMA, ketamine, LSD, psilocin and DMT.
Parsons confessed to law enforcement that he planned to sell the methamphetamine. Parsons also told officers he had another package of meth that he ordered and had shipped to his home. On March 15, 2021, officers took the parcel, which contained about 223 grams of methamphetamine.
Parsons was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Investigators in this case included the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the West Virginia State Police, the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force, the Metro Drug Enforcement Network Team, and the West Virginia National Guard Reconnaissance and Aerial Interdiction Detachment.