Federal prosecutors in Chicago have slapped charges on two operators of a dark web marketplace known as "Empire Market". According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, Thomas Pavey, and Raheim Hamilton are accused of running a platform that dealt in an array of illegal goods and services, totaling more than $430 million in transactions.
Pavey, aka "Dopenugget", and Hamilton, also known by the monikers "Sydney" and "Zero Angel", purportedly facilitated roughly four million transactions between 2018 and 2020, enabling the trade of drugs, fraudulent identification documents, and other contraband. They have been taken into custody by U.S. law enforcement, awaiting their day in court to possibly answer to conspiracy charges that include drug trafficking, computer fraud, and money laundering. The indictment hints that these charges could bring a maximum life sentence in federal prison.
The now-shuttered Empire Market once thrived in the murky waters of the internet, accessible only through special software that masks users' identities. The sellers on the platform brazenly offered heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and counterfeit currency—the sort of merchandise that could quickly draw the ire of law enforcement. While the market operated, buyers would anonymously place orders and even leave reviews for their illicit purchases, rating their stealth among other criteria.
The indictment also reveals that before Empire Market, Pavey, and Hamilton had allegedly been partners in crime on another notorious dark web market, AlphaBay, that met its end in 2017. This continuity of operations, from one fallen digital bazaar to another, exemplifies an attempt to persistently bypass the law. During the investigation, the federal agents managed to seize $75 million in cryptocurrency, plus additional sums in cash and precious metals.
While the indictment delivers a staggering narrative of dark web dealings, the public is reminded by the U.S. Attorney's Office that an indictment is not a conviction. Pavey and Hamilton hold the presumption of innocence until, and unless, proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. No arraignment dates have been officially set for the duo in federal court in Chicago.
