Two operators of the notorious dark web marketplace Empire Market, Thomas Pavey and Raheim Hamilton, are facing potential life sentences for their involvement in facilitating over $430 million in illicit transactions. The U.S. Department of Justice has charged them with managing Empire Market from 2018 to 2020, where they allegedly oversaw nearly four million transactions involving drugs, counterfeit currency, stolen credit card information, and more.
Pavey and Hamilton, currently in custody awaiting trial in Chicago, face a multitude of charges including drug trafficking, computer fraud, counterfeiting, and money laundering. These charges collectively carry the possibility of life imprisonment. The pair originally collaborated on selling counterfeit U.S. currency on the now-defunct AlphaBay, which was dismantled in a global law enforcement operation in 2017.
Following the shutdown of AlphaBay, Pavey and Hamilton launched Empire Market in February 2018, organizing it into categories such as drugs, counterfeit items, and malware. The marketplace operated through cryptocurrency transactions and allowed buyers to rate sellers. The Justice Department seized $75 million in cryptocurrency during their investigation, along with cash and precious metals, although specifics on how these were obtained were not disclosed.
This case mirrors a pattern where operators of shutdown cybercrime platforms create new ones, highlighting ongoing challenges in combating illicit online activities. It underscores broader efforts to address the proliferation of dark web markets and their implications for law enforcement and cybersecurity globally.
