A Maryland father and son receive federal prison sentences for their involvement in a dark web drug trafficking and Bitcoin laundering operation.

In a case underscoring the complex challenges of digital crime, a father and son duo from Maryland have been sentenced for their roles in a sophisticated dark web drug trafficking operation and subsequent Bitcoin (BTC) laundering scheme.

Joseph Farace, 72, received a 19-month federal prison sentence on Jan. 8 for assisting his son, Ryan Farace, 38, in laundering Bitcoin earned from illegal drug sales. Court documents reveal that from November 2013 to June 2017, Ryan Farace masterminded a lucrative dark web operation, generating over 9,138 Bitcoin by selling illegal substances.

In 2020, from behind bars, Ryan Farace orchestrated the transfer of over 2,874 BTC to a foreign bank account, using a prison library book to communicate the recipient’s Bitcoin address to his father.

Federal investigators, however, intercepted these operations. By February 2021, they had seized all transferred Bitcoin, adding another 58.7 Bitcoin to the forfeiture in May 2021. Under his plea agreement, Ryan Farace consented to forfeit 2,957.9 BTC recovered during the investigations.

Ryan Farace received an additional 54-month federal prison sentence on Jan. 5 for his continued criminal activities while incarcerated. Following Joseph Farace’s 19-month sentence, he will face two years of supervised release.