ST. LOUIS — A Rochester, New York, man was sentenced Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, to 54 months in federal prison for selling counterfeit Xanax on the dark web, both before and after his indictment.U.S. District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig handed down the sentence to 31-year-old John Cruz, who pleaded guilty twice to conspiracy to misbrand, introduce misbranded drugs, and sell counterfeit drugs. Cruz admitted to purchasing counterfeit Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication, on the darknet and reselling it from at least October 2019 through May 2021. He also acknowledged operating a darknet website offering four types of counterfeit or misbranded pills while out on bond following his initial guilty plea in November 2023.“I hope you understand that you put people’s lives at risk,” Judge Fleissig tol

See Full Page