Tattoo Artist's 'Utopia' Dreams Dashed by Federal Darknet Sting
A self-employed tattoo artist, operating under the moniker 'Utopia,' found their entrepreneurial aspirations curtailed following a federal investigation into darknet marketplace activities.
Lucas Raymond Bingham, 42, was granted bail with a $500,000 surety after being accused of running a darknet drug operation under the alias Utopia. He appeared at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on October 19 following a coordinated set of police raids across southeast Melbourne the day prior.
According to a police summary submitted in court, Bingham is allegedly linked to 309 intercepted mail parcels containing LSD and cannabis. Authorities claim these packages were dropped into public street mailboxes located in shopping centers including Dingley Village, Fountain Gate, Eden Rise, Karingal Hub, The Downs, and Thompson Parkway.
Police allege that Bingham operated as a vendor on at least 13 darknet marketplaces. The Utopia profile reportedly listed over 20,000 completed transactions with a 94.8% positive feedback rating—metrics often used to assess vendor reliability in these ecosystems.
During the raid on Bingham’s Cranbourne residence, the Major Drug Squad claims to have seized LSD tablets, cannabis, THC edibles, cannabis oil, roughly $5,000 in cash, and an Isuzu D-Max utility. One bedroom reportedly contained bulk cannabis in heat-sealed bags, satchels, and mailing supplies. An envelope addressed to New York allegedly contained 3,000 LSD tabs hidden within comic books. Additional product was stored in the fridge and freezer, per the summary.
Charges include trafficking a large commercial quantity of LSD, trafficking commercial quantities of THC and cannabis, importing LSD, and possession of both narcotics and suspected proceeds of crime. Police state Bingham made partial admissions, including importing LSD and controlling the Utopia darknet account, and that he handed over access codes during the arrest.
Bingham has no criminal record and has never been held in custody. The court heard he had previously worked as a tattooist but had not been employed since the pandemic lockdowns in March 2023.
His mother offered up to $1 million in property as surety to support the bail application. Magistrate Peter Reardon acknowledged Bingham’s circumstances met the “exceptional” threshold required for bail, noting police did not classify him as a high risk for flight or reoffending.
Bail conditions include surrendering all passports, reporting to police three times weekly, refraining from accessing the dark web, and limiting communication to a single phone.
In related arrests, a 39-year-old Narre Warren woman was charged with drug possession (cannabis, MDMA, LSD, THC) and proceeds of crime. She was bailed to appear in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on June 11. A 67-year-old Cranbourne North man was questioned and released without charge.
