Two men have been charged with operating the dark web market Empire Market, with $75 million in cryptocurrency and other assets seized

2024-06-15 15:47:19

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ChainCatcher news, Illinois federal prosecutors have charged Thomas Pavey of Florida and Raheim Hamilton of Virginia with owning and operating the dark web market Empire Market from 2018 to 2020, which was shut down in August 2020.

Prosecutors claim that the two processed $430 million in transactions through the platform during this period, allowing users to anonymously buy and sell drugs and stolen credit card information using cryptocurrency.

The two had previously been detained for selling counterfeit currency on another dark web market, AlphaBay. The new charges include drug trafficking, computer fraud, forgery, and money laundering, with a maximum sentence of life in prison. Additionally, law enforcement has seized $75 million worth of cryptocurrency, cash, and precious metals during the investigation.

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