June 17, 2024 at 04:20PM
Two alleged administrators of the dark-web bazaar Empire Market, Thomas Pavey and Raheim Hamilton, have been arrested for their ownership and operation of the site. They are accused of facilitating millions of dollars in illegal transactions for drugs, fraud, and other illicit goods. The duo also faces charges related to previous criminal activities. They await federal court arraignments.
Based on the meeting notes, the key takeaways are:
– Two alleged administrators of Empire Market have been arrested on charges related to owning and operating the illicit dark-web bazaar.
– The administrators, 38-year-old Thomas Pavey and 28-year-old Raheim Hamilton, are accused of facilitating four million transactions valued at more than $430 million.
– Empire Market facilitated the sale of a variety of illegal goods and services, including controlled substances, stolen account credentials, counterfeit credit card information, and malware.
– The market operated using specialized anonymizing software and only accepted cryptocurrency for transactions.
– The administrators are also alleged to have encouraged the use of cryptocurrency mixers to prevent authorities from linking purchases to illicit activities.
– Prior to operating Empire Market, the accused individuals were involved in advertising and selling counterfeit US currency on another dark-web market, AlphaBay.
– Pavey and Hamilton are charged with conspiracy to engage in drug trafficking, computer and access device fraud, counterfeiting, and money laundering, with these charges carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
– Both individuals remain in custody and await their arraignments in federal court.