Empire Market Co-Creator Jailed for 40 Years Over Dark Web Marketplace That Traded Stolen Data and Hacking Tools

Raheim Hamilton, 30, co-creator of the dark web marketplace Empire Market, was sentenced this week to 40 years in federal prison. US District Judge Steven Seeger also fined him $5 million. Hamilton had pleaded guilty earlier this year to a drug conspiracy charge and agreed to forfeit more than $100 million worth of Bitcoin and several properties in Virginia.

Hamilton and Thomas Pavey ran Empire Market from 2018 to 2020. Users sold narcotics, stolen account credentials, stolen documents, fake currency and hacking tools. Prosecutors say the site handled more than 4 million transactions worth $430 million, with about $375 million of that coming from drug sales. Listings were organised under categories such as "Fraud" and "Software & Malware". The platform offered encrypted communication and cryptocurrency mixers, which help users launder money from sales.

Pavey pleaded guilty last year and will be sentenced later this month. According to the indictment, the pair first worked together selling counterfeit US currency on AlphaBay, and launched Empire Market on 1 February 2018 after that site was shut down in 2017. Empire Market vanished in the summer of 2020, with operators reportedly taking an estimated $30 million in bitcoin from users. The Justice Department has prioritised dark web takedowns, including BreachForums, BidenCash and Archetyp.