Two Men Sentenced for Selling Deadly Fentanyl-Laced Pills Online

CALIFORNIA (April 30, 2024) — Two men, Michael Ta from Westminster, California, and Rajiv Srinivasan from Houston, Texas, have been sentenced to lengthy terms in federal prison for their roles in a dark web operation that distributed fentanyl-laced pills causing multiple fatal overdoses. 

The United States Department of Justice reported that from February to November 2022, the duo completed over 3,800 transactions, impacting around 1,400 individuals across all 50 states.

Operating under the online pseudonym “redlightlabs,” Srinivasan managed sales through dark web marketplaces, while Ta coordinated the supply chain from his home. Together, they dispatched over 123,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, along with substantial quantities of other illicit drugs.

Srinivasan received a prison sentence of 19 years and seven months after pleading guilty to charges including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distributing fentanyl resulting in death. Ta was sentenced to 21 years and eight months following his guilty plea to a conspiracy charge.

This fentanyl-laced pills case highlights the severe consequences of the opioid epidemic that continues to affect families nationwide, with the victims ranging in age from 19 to 51 years old from various states including California, Florida, Colorado, and Arkansas.