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A Long Island woman who ran a bustling dark-web narcotics storefront from her Centereach garage — shipping fentanyl, heroin and cocaine across the United States under the handle “MamaKnowsBrown” — pleaded guilty Thursday to major drug charges, prosecutors said.
Carolyn Tolin, 46, admitted in court that she operated the underground marketplace from her residence, where investigators found stacks of packaged drugs, shipping supplies and computer equipment tied to her online operation, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said.
The district attorney’s office said Tolin. who faces up to 15 years in prison at her sentencing, moved more than $75,000 worth of heroin, fentanyl, crack and cocaine between September 2024 and March 2025, advertising the products through her dark-web vendor page.
Customers could browse listings, choose shipping options and even leave product reviews, authorities said.
Tolin relied on an unusual logistics setup to move her drugs: USPS and UPS for cross-country deliveries, and even Uber drivers for same-day drop-offs at Suffolk locations.
Payments came through cryptocurrency, which she converted into cash, according to court filings.
“The scale of the operation that this defendant ran out of her Centereach garage is astounding,” Tierney said.
Penned overdose-warning card
Each package, prosecutors said, included an overdose-warning card crafted by Tolin herself — telling customers to keep Narcan nearby, not to use alone, and cautioning that her batches were so potent they were meant only for “experienced” users.
Detectives raided the Centereach home on March 14, recovering fentanyl, heroin and cocaine, along with heat sealers, scales, envelopes and packages, Tierney said. Authorities also seized phones and computer gear allegedly tied to her dark-web account.
In a sweeping 21-defendant, 109-count indictment announced in March, prosecutors had already identified Tolin as a key distributor in a larger narcotics network — alleging she shipped more than 1,000 drug packages to 40 states through her dark-web shop “MamaKnowsBrown,” complete with “tip jar” add-ons and her now-infamous overdose warning cards.
Tolin has remained in police custody since the raid of her home. She pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance — a Class A-1 felony — and attempted operating as a major trafficker, a Class B felony.
Top: photos provided by SCDA
