A Fall River man, Benjamin Hunt, age 27, pleaded guilty to a slew of federal charges, including drug distribution resulting in the death of a minor, along with multiple counts involving the sale of drugs and illegal firearms via the Telegram app, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Hunt, who has been in federal custody since August 2024, admitted to running an online marketplace on Telegram where he peddled fentanyl, MDMA, MDA, ketamine, LSD, and a range of firearms, including machine guns and gun parts, some of which were made with 3-D printers. He remained behind bars as authorities continued their investigation and was only recently charged with additional crimes, which he also pleaded guilty to yesterday. Under the agreement, Hunt faces a prison sentence ranging from 20 to 25 years, with sentencing set for March 19, 2026, by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin, as per a report by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Hunt's operations, which spanned from at least 2022 through 2024, involved advertising his wares and conducting transactions primarily in cryptocurrency while attempting to shield his identity. He also accepted payments via CashApp and shipped drugs and firearms using the U.S. Postal Service directly or, sometimes, through suppliers. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement made undercover purchases, with Hunt once selling over 40 grams of fentanyl and various illegal firearm accessories in the same transaction.
In a tragic turn of events, a 17-year-old from Indiana overdosed in May 2023 after ingesting drugs supplied by Hunt. Messages unearthed during the investigation revealed a harrowing exchange between Hunt and the minor leading up to the youth's demise. The drugs sold by Hunt were identified as the direct cause of the mixed drug intoxication that took the minor’s life. “This defendant made a business out of selling poisonous drugs and flooding our communities with illegal guns – and a 17-year-old victim paid for it with his life,” United States Attorney Leah B. Foley asserted in the aftermath of the plea, as noted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The collaborative effort of multiple agencies, including the DEA, ATF, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, underscored the determination to hold individuals like Hunt accountable. Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, highlighted the resolve to dismantle criminal networks abusing the mail system, saying, "The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to aggressively pursue and investigate anyone who attempts to use the mail to encourage gun violence and ongoing drug use in our communities," as mentioned by the U.S. Department of Justice.
This case is a fraction of the broader Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative that brings together resources from numerous law enforcement agencies to combat criminal organizations and threats to community safety, especially those involving children or violent criminal aliens as part of its mandate. Hunt's conviction stands as only one result of their extensive efforts, with the Justice Department pressing forward in its crackdown on similar enterprises that threaten the well-being of American society.
