Australian Rugby Player Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for MDMA Drug Deals using Bitcoin

A professional Australian rugby player, Gavin Brown, has reportedly been jailed for allegedly trying to distribute a large number of MDMA tablets he purchased from sellers on the dark web.

The Darwin, Northern Territory based A-grade rugby player has been sentenced to 18 months in jail as he was charged for engaging in unlawful and “selfish” behavior in order to satisfy his drug habit. Notably, Australia has one of the world’s highest rates of drug deals carried out via the dark web (per capita).

According to ABC Australia, the accused is a 27-year-old rugby professional who plays for the Litchfield Bears. In order to purchase MDMA (Ecstasy) tablets, Brown allegedly used bitcoin (BTC). He reportedly bought $6,000 worth of MDMA from dark web sellers using the pseudonymous digital currency.

Dangerous Drug Mimics Effects Of Stimulants & Hallucinogens 

As mentioned during the Supreme Court hearing, Brown had purchased 500 MDMA tablets from sellers operating through underground online forums. MDMA or Ecstasy pills are a synthetic drug (and controlled substance in most countries including Australia) that “alter mood and perception … It is chemically similar to both stimulants and hallucinogens, producing feelings of increased energy, pleasure, emotional warmth, and distorted sensory and time perception.”

Last month, Judge Peter Barr, who was assigned to the case, had informed the court that Brown “had not previously engaged with the dark web to purchase drugs.” Barr further noted:.

You (Brown) accessed the dark web in order to obtain pills more cheaply than from dealers around Darwin city.

When sentencing Brown to 18 months in prison, the court acknowledged that around 100 of the Ecstasy pills may have been used by the accused as he is reportedly addicted to the drug.

Up To $20,000 Earned From Illicit Drug Deals 

However, the court determined through an independent investigation that the professional sports player likely sold the remaining 400 pills he had purchased to various local “nightclubs and pubs” located near the Top End capital. Barr revealed: 

The current Darwin street price for a single MDMA tablet is $40 to $50. If you had sold the remaining 400 tablets at that price, you stood to receive between $16,000 and $20,000.

Brown, a former Taminmin College student who currently also serves as an under-eights coach, will be spending time in prison after a previous ruling which stated that the court’s decision be suspended for three months. According to court documents, Brown’s employment was necessary due to “looming family responsibilities” as his partner was reportedly pregnant.

Commenting on Brown’s irresponsible conduct, Judge Barr stated:

That is, of course, very selfish (Brown’s drug deals) because you were putting your own interests ahead of the interests of the community.