As a researcher with a background in cybersecurity and criminal justice, I find the case of Thomas Pavey and Raheim Hamilton operating the darknet marketplace Empire Market between 2018 and 2020 to be both intriguing and concerning. The scale of their alleged illegal activities is staggering, with approximately four million transactions valued at over $430 million.
Two individuals, Thomas Pavey, age 38, and Raheim Hamilton, age 28, are accused by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) of managing the illegal darknet marketplace, Empire Market, from 2018 to 2020.
At Empire Market, transactions took place between sellers and buyers, totaling an estimated $430 million in value for illicit goods and services. Cryptocurrencies were used to process these payments.
According to a press release from the Department of Justice, Thomas Pavey, alias “Dopenugget,” aged 38 from Ormond Beach, Florida, and Raheem Hamilton, also known as “Sydney” and “Zero Angel,” aged 28 from Suffolk, Virginia, managed Empire Market between 2018 and 2020. During this period, approximately four million transactions occurred between vendors and buyers, totaling over $430 million in value, as indicated in a superseding indictment unsealed on Thursday in the US District Court in Chicago.
The duo is accused of involvement in “drug trading, computer deceit, accessing forbidden credit cards, producing fake currency, and laundering money.” The Empire Market platform brought together a diverse range of unlawful goods and services such as drugs, stolen credit card information, malicious software, and counterfeit currencies. To conceal their identities and financial transactions, they employed anonymizing tools and cryptocurrency.
Should Pavey and Hamilton be convicted for their part in managing Empire Market, they face potential life sentences in federal prison. Additionally, allegations suggest their participation in overseeing AlphaBay, a prior darknet marketplace dealing in counterfeit currencies, which was dismantled in 2017. Following AlphaBay’s closure, the duo initiated Empire Market in February 2018, which subsequently ended in August 2018.
The authorities have confiscated approximately $75 million in crypto assets from Pavey and Hamilton during their recent investigation. Additionally, they’ve taken hold of further valuable resources such as precious metals and cash, yet the exact amounts remain undisclosed. Both individuals are entitled to present their case of innocence at a forthcoming federal court hearing in Chicago. The specific dates for these hearings will be announced soon.
Image by Mark Thomas from Pixabay
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2024-06-17 10:10