Court

A Bay Area man, Thomas McHale, who was out on bond after buying MDMA on the dark web, has sold MDMA to a government informant. He was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison.

Thomas McHale, of Emerald Hills, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William Orrick. Thomas was sentenced to 40 months in prison. He pleaded guilty to the charges below:

  • Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
  • Possession with Intent to Distribute Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
  • Possession with Intent to Distribute Dimethyltryptamine
  • Possession with Intent to Distribute MDMA

Prior to my first arrest, I had been asked to order from the darkweb a large amount of ‘party drugs’ for people attending the Burning Man festival – up until that point I had only been distributing small amounts to people directly around me,”

I didn’t distribute during my time on release until the CI started pressuring me to get back involved, and at that point, everything was unraveling around me at a terrifying pace and I was barely able to function day to day let alone stand up to someone threatening me – the CI left the meth that was found at my house two days prior to the search and my arrest.

McHale wrote in an apology letter to the court.
MDMA dealer

The United States Customs officers intercepted a package from Germany on August 2019. The intercepted package contained more than 500 grams of pills. The package was addressed to an unidentified address in California.

Officers with Homeland Security Investigations contacted the unidentified individual about the package. The individual told them that a person paid 20 to 30 so that he could receive the package.

This individual claimed that he did not know that package contained MDMA. He worked with investigators to catch the intended recipient of the package. He called the person who paid him to receive the package and notified him of the delivery.

Later that day, someone identified only as “Cooperating Witness 2” met with the unidentified individual to pick up the package. Investigators detained CW-2 at the scene. CW-2 agreed to cooperate with investigators.

CW-2 stated that she communicates with MCHALE through the “Signal” messaging app, which is available for both cellular telephones and computers. CW-2 gave consent for agents to search her phone and voluntarily provided her passcode. Agents were able to view the messages on the Signal app. They confirmed that McHale’s phone number in the Signal app was 650-785-8956.

Messages on the Signal app also confirmed that McHale had requested that CW-2 pick up The Parcel from CW-I, and also offered to provide CW-2 with methamphetamine in exchange for picking up The Parcel. Additionally, McHale created a group message on the Signal app to include himself, CW-2, and another person named “Hannah” to further discuss the details related to picking up The Parcel from CW-2. Based on my discussions with CW-1 and CW-2, I believe that “Hannah” is Hannah HJ, the previously-described individual who arranged for CW-1 to receive The Parcel.

CW-2 contacted McHale through Signal and told him that she had received the package and would meet him. She drove to his house and McHale received the package. He was arrested after he received the package.

Court’s conditions. He tested positive for methamphetamine on at least nine occasions, tampered with drug test patches on at least two occasions, submitted six diluted drug-test samples to Pretrial Services, and continued to possess and sell drugs, resulting in his second arrest,” assistant U.S. Attorney Casey McHale wrote in a sentencing memo.

Sentence for possessing MDMA

The judge issued a sentence of only 40 months in federal prison. During his arrest investigators found MDMA in plain view. Prosecutors wanted him to be sentenced to 5 years but he was sentenced to 40 months in prison for possessing MDMA.