Empire Market Creator Sentenced for Dark Web Activities

Raheim Hamilton, the co-creator of the notorious dark web marketplace Empire Market, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the sentencing, highlighting Hamilton's role in facilitating $430 million in illegal transactions through the platform.

Empire Market, which operated from August 2017 until its shutdown in 2020, was a hub for illegal activities, including the sale of drugs, stolen personally identifying information, and computer-hacking tools. According to the Justice Department, the marketplace was a significant player in the dark web ecosystem, enabling a wide range of criminal activities.

Hamilton, known online by the aliases 'Sydney' and 'ZeroAngel', owned and operated Empire Market until it was shut down amid extortion-based distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The sudden closure of the marketplace left users unable to withdraw funds from their escrow accounts, adding to the chaos surrounding its demise.

Before his involvement with Empire Market, Hamilton was active on another infamous dark web marketplace, AlphaBay, where he sold under the username 'ZeroAngel' from June 2016 to July 2017. AlphaBay itself was shut down in 2017, further illustrating the volatile nature of these illicit platforms.

The sentencing of Hamilton marks a significant step in the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to dismantle dark web marketplaces and hold their operators accountable. The Justice Department's actions underscore the serious legal consequences for those involved in facilitating illegal activities online.