A Fall River man is charged with selling various narcotics, including the deadly fentanyl, and even machine gun parts all over the country and used both private messaging via Telegram and private payment via Bitcoin to do business.

Benjamin Hunt, 26, is charged with selling drugs, untraceable guns, gun parts and other illegal items over Telegram and sending the goods through the U.S. Mail. He made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston earlier this week where a detention hearing was scheduled for Sept. 5.

“As alleged, Mr. Hunt exploited encrypted messaging platforms and the anonymity of cryptocurrency to peddle lethal narcotics and untraceable weapons, endangering communities across the country,” acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said. “The sheer volume of drugs and firearms seized during this investigation highlights the significant threat posed by these activities.”

His products included drugs like fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, morphine, codeine, ketamine, oxycodone and mushrooms; untraceable “ghost” guns; “switches” to convert semi-automatic guns into machine guns; and other sundries like 3D-printed brass knuckles and even smoke grenades, according to a law enforcement affidavit detailing the investigation.

Hunt allegedly went by the usernames HansJesus and, later, CME_Morgan to market his wares on Telegram channels called “Clean Meds Emporium” and “Nirvana Bonanza.” The second username points to an “affinity” for the actor Morgan Freeman, as DEA Task Force Officer Kevin Barbosa notes in an affidavit that Hunt included a miniature figurine of the actor in his alleged shipments.

Hunt allegedly operated his illicit business out of three locations: his current residence on the third floor of a building and at a rented unit at Extra Space Storage, both located on Quequechan Street in Fall River, as well as his former residence on Dudley Street in New Bedford where his mother now lives.

Undercover investigators placed several orders between January and June through the Telegram channels for “controlled substances, firearms, and other contraband … including two machinegun conversion devices,” according to Barbosa’s affidavit, and paid with Bitcoin.

Bitcoin is a type of digital currency — called “cryptocurrency” — independent of traditional banking and fiat money that uses a decentralized “blockchain” network to promote pseudonymous transactions between users. Transactions are recorded but a true identity is not attached to the record.

The undercover agent received 55.5 grams of pressed pills that a DEA laboratory confirmed contained fentanyl. The agent also received two machine gun “switches,” a Glock 19, and one hundred “blues” — those fentanyl-containing “oxycodone” pills received in the first order. One order contained 1,600 counterfeit pills believed to contain fentanyl.

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Investigators also intercepted multiple packages prepared for other customers after they had identified Hunt as their suspect, the affidavit states, which included smoke grenades and 13 machine gun “switches.”

“Hunt’s arrest should give fair warning that trafficking in narcotics and firearms on encrypted applications does not give anonymity,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Boston. “The use of the U.S. Mail to distribute illicit substances and illegal firearms will not be tolerated.”

“Blues,” or pressed pills that tested positive for fentanyl, and 3D-printed brass knuckles investigators say they ordered through Benjamin Hunt, of Fall River. (Courtesy / U.S. District Court)

A collection of “blues,” or pressed pills that tested positive for fentanyl, that investigators say they ordered through Benjamin Hunt, of Fall River. (Courtesy / U.S. District Court)