Dark Web Empire Market Co-Creator Raheim Hamilton Gets 40 Years in Prison

What happened

Dark Web Empire Market Co-Creator Raheim Hamilton Gets 40 Years in Prison, according to Hackread. Raheim Hamilton, co-creator of the dark web marketplace Empire Market , has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for helping operate a platform that processed more than $430 million in illegal transactions. The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois said Hamilton, 30, of Suffolk, Virginia, co-owned and operated Empire Market from 2018 to 2020.

He pleaded guilty earlier this year in federal court in Chicago to a drug conspiracy charge. Empire Market allowed vendors and buyers to trade illegal goods and services, including controlled substances, stolen account credentials, stolen personally identifiable information, counterfeit currency and hacking tools.

Prosecutors said the site handled more than four million transactions during its operation. According to the Justice Department, drug sales made up most of the marketplace’s activity, with net drug sales reaching nearly $375 million and including fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin.