TAMPA, Fla. — A Georgia man is among two people facing charges in connection with a heroin trafficking operation that allegedly sold drugs through the Darknet.
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On Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced that Eric Turner, 30, of Georgia, and Jose Smith, 29, of Valrico, Fla., have been charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin.
If convicted, both men face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in federal prison.
According to court documents, Turner and Smith operated a drug-trafficking organization beginning at least as early as 2024. Prosecutors say the operation initially distributed illicit pills before expanding to traffic kilogram quantities of heroin through the Darknet.
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Investigators say Turner, who was based in Lizella, Ga., supplied kilogram-sized bricks of heroin and shipped them to Smith’s home in Valrico, Fla. Authorities say Smith then broke the heroin into smaller quantities and shipped the drugs to customers who placed orders through the Darknet.
According to prosecutors, digital evidence, postal records, surveillance, drug seizures and an undercover operation helped establish the alleged trafficking scheme.
Federal authorities said that as of April 2026, the group’s Darknet vendor account showed more than 2,500 fulfilled heroin orders. Prosecutors also allege the account had received thousands of customer reviews praising the quality of the heroin.
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