Empire Market

Pierluigi Paganini October 10, 2026
US Sentences Empire Market Co-Creator Over $430 Million Criminal Marketplace

Empire Market co-creator Raheim Hamilton was sentenced to 40 years in prison for running a dark web marketplace linked to $430 million in illegal trades. The case against Empire Market shows how a dark web marketplace can become a major criminal business, bringing together drug trafficking, stolen credentials, personal data and hacking tools. “A Virginia […]

Pierluigi Paganini January 30, 2026
Empire Market co-founder faces 10 years to life after guilty plea

Empire Market co-founder Raheim Hamilton pleaded guilty to U.S. drug conspiracy charges in Chicago, facing a mandatory 10 years to life in prison. Raheim Hamilton (30) of Virginia, co-creator of the dark web marketplace Empire Market, pleaded guilty in Chicago to a federal drug conspiracy charge. Empire Market allowed users to anonymously buy and sell […]

Pierluigi Paganini June 17, 2024
Empire Market owners charged with operating $430M dark web marketplace

Federal authorities charged two individuals with operating the dark web marketplace Empire Market that facilitated over $430 million in illegal transactions. Two men, Thomas Pavey (aka “Dopenugget”) and Raheim Hamilton (aka “Sydney” and “Zero Angel”), have been charged in federal court in Chicago for operating the dark web marketplace “Empire Market” from 2018 to 2020. […]