On the shadowed avenues of the internet, a Virginia man has pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges in connection with his role as a co-creator and operator of Empire Market, once a bustling dark web marketplace. Raheim Hamilton, a 30-year-old resident of Suffolk, admitted to his part in facilitating an anonymous platform where illegal goods and services, including drugs, were traded with impunity.
The guilty plea took place in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Chicago, with U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger presiding over the case. Hamilton faces a sentence that could range from ten years to life in prison; the sentencing, set for June 17, will determine his fate. According to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, the crackdown on Hamilton's operations also involved collaborative efforts from the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The plea revealed that Hamilton, along with co-conspirator Thomas Pavey, managed Empire Market from 2018 to 2020, during which over four million transactions worth more than $430 million were conducted. It was notorious for its wide variety of contraband, though controlled substances topped the sales charts, drawing nearly $375 million. Pavey already pleaded guilty to related charges last year, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois. His sentencing is still pending.
