Federal prosecutors in Illinois have brought charges against two individuals accused of being behind the illegal darknet marketplace Empire Market. Court documents filed on Friday revealed that Thomas Pavey, 38, from Florida, and Raheim Hamilton, 28, from Virginia, are alleged to have owned and operated Empire Market from 2018 to 2020. During this time, prosecutors claim that the duo facilitated transactions amounting to $430 million on the platform, which enabled users to purchase illegal goods and services anonymously.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a press release on Thursday stating that Empire Market was utilized for the sale of items such as drugs and stolen credit card information, all of which were transacted using cryptocurrency. The marketplace ceased operations in August 2020. Pavey and Hamilton were already in custody on unrelated charges – they were previously accused of selling counterfeit currency on another darknet market known as AlphaBay, which was shut down in 2017.
The new charges against Pavey and Hamilton encompass allegations of conspiring to engage in drug trafficking, computer fraud, access device fraud, counterfeiting, and money laundering. The maximum penalty for these charges, as per the DOJ, is a life sentence in prison. As part of the investigation, law enforcement authorities seized $75 million in cryptocurrency, in addition to an undisclosed sum of cash and precious metals.
Arraignments for Pavey and Hamilton are yet to be scheduled. The legal proceedings are expected to shed more light on the operations of Empire Market and the extent of the criminal activities that transpired on the platform. The charges against the accused individuals highlight the ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to combat illicit activities on the dark web and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.
The case serves as a reminder of the challenges posed by illegal online marketplaces and the importance of robust enforcement measures to uphold the rule of law in cyberspace. It also underscores the need for cooperation between international law enforcement agencies to address transnational cybercrime effectively. As the investigation unfolds, further details are likely to emerge regarding the intricate web of criminal activities orchestrated by the operators of Empire Market and their associates.