A Virginia man has pleaded guilty in Chicago to a federal drug conspiracy charge tied to the operation of a dark web marketplace.
Rahiem Hamilton, 30, of Suffolk, Virginia, entered a guilty plea Monday for his role in a scheme prosecutors say allowed users to anonymously buy and sell illegal goods and services. According to prosecutors, Hamilton and another man, 40-year-old Thomas Pavey of Ormond Beach, Florida, jointly owned and operated Empire Market from 2018 through 2020.
Prosecutors said the online marketplace facilitated more than four million transactions between buyers and vendors, totaling over $430 million in value, making it one of the largest dark web markets of its kind at the time.
Illegal items and services offered on the site included controlled substances, stolen or compromised account credentials, stolen personal identification information, counterfeit currency, and computer-hacking tools.
Drug sales alone generated nearly $375 million. Prosecutors said Hamilton and his co-conspirator required all transactions on the platform to be conducted using cryptocurrency.
Authorities added that Hamilton admitted in a plea agreement that he and Pavey designed Empire Market to “help its users avoid detection by law enforcement and to assist users with laundering money from the illicit transactions.”
Both men agreed to forfeit proceeds obtained through the scheme, along with multiple properties and additional assets. Hamilton and Pavey are awaiting sentencing, with Hamilton’s scheduled for June 17.
A conviction in the case carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum possible sentence of life.