GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Matthew Simon Grimm, 51, a citizen of the United Kingdom, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his role in an international drug trafficking and money laundering operation. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Grimm previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to import a controlled substance, four counts of importation of a controlled substance, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of his sentence, Grimm was also ordered to forfeit more than $28 million in cryptocurrency profits tied to the operation.
From 2015 until his arrest in 2022, Grimm operated a website selling synthetic drugs including synthetic cathinones, synthetic cannabinoids, and analogues of methamphetamine. Prosecutors said Grimm shipped at least 44,000 orders of these substances into the United States. Customers paid primarily in cryptocurrency, which Grimm then laundered to conceal the proceeds of the scheme.
The investigation began in Gainesville, where Drug Enforcement Administration agents ordered and received controlled substances directly from Grimm’s website. The case eventually expanded internationally, involving cooperation from law enforcement agencies across the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Grimm was arrested in the UK and extradited to the U.S. in July 2024.
“Dismantling this criminal enterprise required close collaboration between our federal and international partners,” U.S. Attorney Heekin said. “This case is yet another step toward keeping poison off our streets and ensuring offenders cannot profit from their crimes.”
Several agencies emphasized the broader fight against cyber-enabled drug trafficking.
“Technology brings more ways for criminals to flood our streets with poison,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “DEA pursues cyber criminals with the same energy as street-level drug distributors.”
Postal Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo, of the Miami Division, added: “We will pursue those who use the U.S. Mail to transport and distribute deadly drugs which impact the safety of postal employees and the communities they serve.”
Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno also underscored the damage caused: “This defendant and his co-conspirators pushed poison into our communities, profiting off the addiction, violence, and destruction these dangerous substances bring.”
Grimm’s co-defendant, Carrie-Ann Tooley, 54, of Northport, Maine, was sentenced earlier this year for her role in the operation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain, Adam Hapner, and Kaitlin Weiss, with significant contributions from former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Elsey and David P. Byron.
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