Irving woman sentenced to 12 years in prison for selling 'date rape drug'
IRVING, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - An Irving woman who sold date rape drugs over the internet was sentenced on Thursday to 151 months - more than 12 years - in federal prison.
Hyun Ji Martin, 40, sold gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), more commonly known as the date rape drug, over the dark web, court documents said.
Martin was first charged in June 2021, then plead guilty in August 2021 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
On Nov. 6, 2020, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Parcel Task Force officers observed Martin delivering 15 parcels to a post office in Irving, two of which were obtained for investigation. Inside, they found approximately 208 ml of a clear liquid, which they suspected was GHB or an analogue known as gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), concealed in contact lens solution bottles.
On June 3, 2021, officers executed a search warrant at Martin's apartment, where they discovered large quantities of GHB, GBL, methamphetamine, USPS shipping supplies, contact lens solution bottles and a lab used to convert GBL to GHB.
In a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Martin said she routinely ordered GBL from China, converted some of it to GHB, and sold both GHB and GBL on the dark web.
"The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will not stop in pursuing those who wish to flood our streets with dangerous drugs," said Thomas Noyes, inspector in charge of the Postal Inspection Service's Fort Worth Division. "This sentencing represents our commitment to safeguarding the mail from illicit drug trafficking and bringing those responsible to justice. We thank all those who helped in achieving this outcome, including North Texas Parcel Task Force members, the USPS-OIG, DEA, HSI, CBP and the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of Texas."
Agents eventually identified more than 1,600 outgoing parcels associated with Martin, mostly mailed using fictitious shipper names and addresses.