● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 neutral
Empire Market Co-Creator Sentenced to 40 Years for $430 Million Dark Web Operation
Key points
- Raheim Hamilton sentenced to 40 years in prison.
- Empire Market facilitated $430 million in illegal transactions.
- Market operated from 2017 to 2020, primarily selling drugs.
- Transactions used cryptocurrency to maintain anonymity.
Sentence for Dark Web Operator
Raheim Hamilton, also known as "Sydney" and "ZeroAngel," has been sentenced to 40 years in prison. Hamilton was a co-creator and operator of Empire Market, a dark web marketplace that facilitated illegal transactions totaling $430 million between 2018 and 2020.
Empire Market's Operations
Empire Market operated from August 2017 until its shutdown in 2020, functioning as a hidden service accessible via TOR browsers. It was modeled after AlphaBay, another dark web marketplace. Hamilton, along with co-defendant Thomas Pavey, facilitated over 4 million transactions between vendors and buyers.
The marketplace primarily dealt in drug sales, which accounted for nearly $375 million of its total transactions, with over 166,000 listings for controlled substances. Other illicit goods included counterfeit currency, stolen account credentials, computer hacking tools, and personally identifiable information.
Evading Law Enforcement
Hamilton admitted that Empire Market was designed to help users avoid law enforcement detection and launder money. All transactions on the site were conducted using cryptocurrency to maintain user anonymity. Users were encouraged to use tumbling and mixing services for cryptocurrency transactions and encryption for communications.
The Department of Justice specified that controlled substances sold included significant quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. Hamilton and Pavey also employed moderators to resolve disputes between customers and vendors.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
Raheim Hamilton, co-creator of the dark web marketplace Empire Market, received a 40-year prison sentence for facilitating $430 million in illegal transactions. Empire Market operated from 2017 to 2020, enabling drug sales, counterfeit currency, and stolen credentials, and used cryptocurrency to evade law enforcement.