- Raheim Hamilton, co-creator of darknet marketplace Empire Market, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison and fined $5 million.
- The site facilitated more than four million crypto transactions worth over $430 million between 2018 and 2020.
- Hamilton agreed to forfeit about 1,230 Bitcoin, while co-creator Thomas Pavey is due to be sentenced later this month.
Raheim Hamilton, co-creator of darknet marketplace Empire Market, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois said Wednesday. Hamilton, 30, of Suffolk, Virginia, received the sentence Monday from U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger in Chicago.
Hamilton pleaded guilty earlier this year to a drug conspiracy charge. He co-owned and operated Empire Market with Thomas Pavey from 2018 to 2020.
During that period, the site facilitated more than four million transactions worth over $430 million. Drug sales dominated, totaling nearly $375 million, including fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin.
The platform also sold stolen account credentials, counterfeit currency, and Hacking tools. Every transaction was required to be paid in cryptocurrency, and operators encouraged users to run funds through tumbling and mixing services.
Hamilton agreed to forfeit about 1,230 BTC and 24.4 ETH, along with three Virginia properties. Empire Market launched in February 2018, shortly after AlphaBay’s takedown, according to blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs.
The site went offline in August 2020 in what users believed was a $30 million exit scam. Consequently, authorities continued to trace the platform’s crypto proceeds.
Meanwhile, Pavey, 41, of Ormond Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty last year to a federal drug conspiracy charge. He agreed to forfeit about 1,584 BTC, two boxes of Gold bars, three cars, and two Florida properties, and is due to be sentenced later this month.
In February, Rui-Siang Lin, who ran darknet drug bazaar Incognito Market, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. His platform handled more than $105 million in narcotics sales.
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