Raheim Hamilton sentenced to 40 years for Empire Market dark web operations

Raheim Hamilton, the 30-year-old co-creator of the dark web marketplace Empire Market, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. The sentencing follows Hamilton’s guilty plea to a drug conspiracy charge in Chicago.

Empire Market operated from 2018 to 2020 and processed more than $430 million in illegal transactions through approximately four million individual trades. While the platform facilitated the sale of stolen credentials, counterfeit currency, and hacking tools, drug sales accounted for the majority of activity, totaling nearly $375 million in net sales of substances including fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin.

Hamilton and co-creator Thomas Pavey designed the platform to evade law enforcement by utilizing cryptocurrency, encrypted communications, and services to conceal payments. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger imposed a $5 million fine and ordered the forfeiture of proceeds linked to the marketplace.