Law enforcement actions against darknet marketplaces and cybercrime forums
US and international law enforcement continued disrupting illicit online marketplaces and forums used to trade ransomware services, malware, stolen data, and drugs. The FBI seized the dark web and clear web domains for RAMP, a long-running, predominantly Russian-language cybercrime forum that marketed itself as the “only place ransomware allowed,” and which hosted vetted users, tutorials, and a marketplace for malware and criminal services; the seizure was coordinated with the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Separately, US prosecutors announced guilty pleas tied to major darknet markets that also sold cybercrime tools and stolen information alongside narcotics. A Virginia man, Raheim Hamilton (aka Sydney/ZeroAngel), co-creator of Empire Market, pleaded guilty to federal drug conspiracy charges related to facilitating roughly $430M in transactions (2018–2020) and designing the market to evade law enforcement using cryptocurrency. A Slovakian national, Alan Bill (aka Vend0r/KingdomOfficial), pleaded guilty for helping operate Kingdom Market (2021–2023), which authorities previously seized in December 2023; investigators linked him to the operation after his arrest with devices and a crypto hardware wallet allegedly containing evidence tying him to the marketplace.
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Empire Market Co-Founder Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Conspiracy Charges
**Empire Market** co-creator **Raheim Hamilton** (aka “Sydney”/“Zero Angel”) pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court in Chicago to a **drug conspiracy** charge tied to operating the dark web marketplace from 2018–2020. Prosecutors said the Tor-hidden service facilitated **over 4 million transactions** totaling **more than $430 million**, primarily **illegal drug sales (~$375 million)**, and also enabled sales of **stolen credentials, personal data, counterfeit currency, and hacking tools**; Hamilton admitted the platform was designed to evade law enforcement and launder proceeds via **cryptocurrency-only** payments. Hamilton and co-defendant **Thomas Pavey** (aka “Dopenugget”) were previously charged for running the market and allegedly had earlier involvement selling counterfeit currency on **AlphaBay** before launching Empire Market. Reporting indicates law enforcement conducted **undercover purchases** (including heroin and methamphetamine), and the investigation resulted in significant cryptocurrency seizures (reported at **~$75 million**) and forfeiture commitments including **Bitcoin, Ether, and property**; Hamilton faces a **mandatory minimum of 10 years** and up to **life** in prison, with sentencing scheduled for **June 17, 2026**.
1 months ago
Sentencing in Darknet Drug Trafficking and Marketplace Operations
US federal courts issued prison sentences tied to **darknet-enabled drug trafficking**. In Los Angeles, **Davit Avalyan** received a **57-month** sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute narcotics as part of a multi-year operation that used numerous darknet vendor accounts/storefronts (e.g., *JoyInc*, *PlanetHollywood*, *LaFarmacia*) to sell cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, and ketamine nationwide, taking payment in cryptocurrency including **Bitcoin** and **Monero**, and shipping parcels via **USPS**. Separately, reporting on the **Incognito** darknet market case describes sentencing filings alleging that an **FBI-controlled informant/asset** helped administer the marketplace while opioid and fentanyl-tainted products were sold, including claims the informant ignored internal alerts and user complaints about suspected fentanyl-laced pills. A third item—about a Ukrainian national sentenced for facilitating **North Korean remote IT worker infiltration** using stolen identities and US-based “laptop farms”—is a different national-security/cyber-enabled fraud matter and not part of the darknet drug-market sentencing story.
3 weeks ago
US Law Enforcement Actions Targeting Crypto-Enabled Crime and Illicit Marketplaces
US authorities reported multiple enforcement actions tied to **crypto-enabled crime**. In the Empire Market case, prosecutors said co-creators **Raheim Hamilton** and **Thomas Pavey** designed the dark web marketplace to help users evade law enforcement and launder proceeds; the market allegedly facilitated about **$430M** in transactions (drugs, stolen payment data, counterfeit currency) before disappearing in 2020 in what investigators described as an exit scam that stole an estimated **$30M** in bitcoin. Hamilton pleaded guilty to federal drug conspiracy charges and agreed to forfeit roughly **1,230 BTC** plus **24.4 ETH** and real estate; Pavey previously pleaded guilty and agreed to forfeit about **1,584 BTC** and other assets. Separately, reporting highlighted alleged misuse and laundering of digital assets in other contexts. On-chain investigator **ZachXBT** traced movements from wallets associated with **US-seized crypto** (held under U.S. Marshals Service custodianship) to wallets allegedly linked to **John Daghita**, the son of a federal contractor executive, with claims of roughly **$23M** in diverted cryptocurrency and another wallet holding about **$36M** in Ethereum; ZachXBT said he alerted the **U.S. Marshals Service**. In another DOJ case, **Jingliang Su** (a Chinese national) was sentenced to **46 months** for laundering proceeds from a cryptocurrency investment fraud that authorities said victimized **174** people for **$36.9M**, using social engineering via social media/dating platforms and counterfeit trading sites, with **$26.9M** restitution ordered and multiple US agencies involved in tracing funds and dismantling the network.
1 months ago