O.C. father and son sold meth on dark web, prosecutors say

An Orange County father and son who worked together to sell methamphetamine on a marketplace of the dark web are facing lengthy prison terms, federal officials said this week.

William “Billy” Glarner IV, 34, of Irvine pleaded guilty Monday to one count of distribution of methamphetamine. His father, William Thomas Glarner III, 61, of Huntington Beach was found guilty this month of charges related to the distribution of methamphetamine, according to federal court records.

Each faces a federal prison sentence ranging from 10 years to life, prosecutors said.

Attorneys for the defendants could not be reached for comment Monday.

The elder Glarner was arrested in March after investigators found he had deposited two packages containing a combined 121.4 grams of methamphetamine at a Los Alamitos post office and a Cypress FedEx location Jan. 19. The return address on both parcels was for Mainstay Nutrition in Long Beach, authorities said.

On March 14, law enforcement authorities searched Glarner’s car and found a duffel bag containing more than 3 pounds of a white substance that authorities said tested positive as methamphetamine. The trunk contained “materials consistent with the packaging and distribution of narcotics,” including digital scales, used plastic wrap, unused plastic baggies and latex gloves, according to a probable cause statement in the criminal complaint against Glarner.

Glarner was arrested and indicted on two counts of attempted distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute the drug.

On June 6, a federal jury in Santa Ana convicted Glarner on all three counts, court records show.

The investigation into his son dates to March 2018, when law enforcement officials were conducting an investigation of another narcotics trafficker, court documents said.

While acting on a search warrant in September, law enforcement officials seized 41.88 grams of heroin, 3.13 grams of methamphetamine and seven digital devices from the younger Glarner’s home, according to the probable cause statement in the complaint against him.

When authorities searched the younger Glarner’s car and residence March 14, they found more than 5 pounds of methamphetamine, according to court papers. Prosecutors said he admitted that some of the meth was packaged to fulfill orders placed on the dark web, a murky corner of the internet where people anonymously buy and sell goods as diverse as firearms, drugs, fake identification and stolen cars.

In a plea agreement, the younger Glarner said he used at least three names while operating on browsers on which he conducted more than 1,500 sales of controlled substances, prosecutors said.

The elder Glarner was identified as part of the investigation of his son’s dark web activity, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

The elder Glarner is expected to be sentenced Sept. 9. His son is scheduled for sentencing Sept. 23.

Sclafani writes for Times Community News.