A North Carolina man who allegedly shipped drugs to the Tri-State area through a darknet marketplace faces federal charges after the Hamilton County Heroin Coalition Task Force linked his operation to two overdose deaths in the region.

Federal court papers unsealed July 27, name Alexander Green, of Jacksonville, North Carolina, as the operator of "Starlabs," an online storefront on the DrugHub darknet marketplace. Green faces charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances.

How investigators connected the dots

The task force, which investigates 200 to 400 overdose cases annually across Hamilton County, first picked up Green's trail while investigating a fatal drug overdose in Blue Ash. At the scene, investigators found a USPS package alongside drugs, according to court documents reported by WKRC. The shipping label had been purchased through Orange Mailer, a company that resells USPS labels, and the package originated in North Carolina.

A subpoena turned up a second package bearing an Orange Mailer label with the same North Carolina return address. That package was tied to another overdose death in Clearcreek Township, Warren County.

From the Orange Mailer customer list, investigators identified buyers ordering through Starlabs, which led them to Green.

Authorities searched Green's Jacksonville home on July 16, and arrested him that day. Inside, they found a Starlabs customer mailing list, drugs, and suspected instructions for pressing pills. The mailing list included the undercover identities investigators had used for their purchases.

A search warrant for Green's Google accounts had previously turned up photos of a pill press, drugs, and his girlfriend allegedly processing suspected drugs. Investigators have not said whether she faces charges.

Green has four prior felony arrests, according to court records, including a drug offense in which his child overdosed after ingesting a baggie of heroin.

The FBI joined the task force in the investigation that led to Green's arrest. No court date has been announced, and the case remains pending in federal court.

Residents with information about drug activity can contact the Hamilton County Heroin Coalition Task Force or call Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.