BUFFALO, NY — A metro Atlanta man has pleaded guilty in federal court for his role in an online illegal drug distribution network, federal officials announced.
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Barry Wright, 57, of Marietta, pleaded guilty before a judge to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine, according to officials.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of New York said Wright worked between July 2024 and January 2025 as a re-shipper for an organized drug trafficking ring operating through websites including MEDDZONLINE.COM and PHARMACYSTORESONLINE.com. The enterprise distributed controlled substances, including tapentadol, amphetamine/dextroamphetamine and zolpidem, to buyers across the United States.
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The drug trafficking organization operated domestically and internationally, taking orders online before sending bulk shipments through international mail to a U.S.-based bulk re-shipper. The drugs were then distributed to smaller re-shippers who were paid for each package mailed out to customers. Wright served as one of these smaller re-shippers.
Law enforcement targeted the operation through a controlled buy on Nov. 20, 2024, when the DEA in Buffalo purchased 60 Zolpidem pills for $475 from MEDSHEALTHONLINE.com.
On Nov. 27, 2024, agents obtained the U.S. Postal Service parcel containing blister packs of Zolpidem that Wright had mailed.
During the investigation, federal agents seized a spreadsheet detailing packages Wright mailed to customers across the country. The records showed Wright mailed 333 parcels in total, receiving $48.50 for each package. According to prosecutors, records also showed Wright took drugs from his inventory for his own use.
Wright is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 2027.
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