A Centereach woman who operated a large-scale narcotics business through the dark web has been sentenced to 15 years in state prison, Suffolk County prosecutors announced.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said Carolyn Tolin, 46, pleaded guilty in November to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree and Attempted Operating as a Major Trafficker for running a nationwide drug operation from her Centereach home.
“This defendant exploited technology to run a deadly narcotics enterprise,” Tierney said. “Her resourcefulness and business acumen could have led to legitimate success, but instead she chose to poison our community and believed she could outsmart the law.”
According to court documents and Tolin’s admissions, from September 2024 through March 2025 she possessed and sold more than $75,000 worth of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin using a dark web vendor site known as MamaKnowsBrown. Through the site, Tolin offered multiple narcotics, provided customers with shipping options, and allowed buyers to leave feedback and reviews.
After receiving orders, Tolin shipped drugs to customers across the country using commercial carriers and delivered narcotics locally within Suffolk County using ride-share services. Payments were made in cryptocurrency, which prosecutors said she later converted to cash.
On March 14, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Tolin’s Centereach residence, where investigators recovered large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Authorities also seized computer equipment, cell phones, prepared shipping packages, packaging materials, a heat sealer, digital scale, and overdose warning cards.
On November 20, 2025, Tolin pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard I. Horowitz. She was sentenced on January 22, 2026, to 15 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kristin Barnes and Matthew Laube of the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau. The investigation was conducted by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Fentanyl Task Force.
A criminal conviction follows a guilty plea.
Photo: SCDA.
