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Raheim Hamilton received 40 years in federal prison and a $5 million fine for running Empire Market.
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The dark web platform handled more than 4 million transactions, with drug sales alone crossing $375 million.
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Hamilton agreed to give up around 1,230 bitcoin, 24.4 Ether, and three Virginia properties as part of his deal with prosecutors.
Raheim Hamilton, the co-creator of the dark web marketplace Empire Market, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. A U.S. district judge also handed him a $5 million fine. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the sentence on October 7, 2026.
Hamilton is 30 years old. Online, he went by “Sydney” and “ZeroAngel.” He pleaded guilty to a federal drug conspiracy charge earlier in 2026. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger handed down the sentence.
Hamilton ran the platform alongside co-defendant Thomas Pavey. Together, they built a hidden online store where people could buy and sell illegal goods anonymously. Empire Market ran from 2018 to 2020.
It grew into one of the biggest dark web platforms of its kind before shutting down in August 2020. Some reports, including BleepingComputer coverage, trace the marketplace’s setup to around August 2017. The DOJ, however, formally places the operating period between 2018 and 2020.
Empire Market Moved Millions in Drugs, Fake IDs, and Hacking Tools
Federal prosecutors say Hamilton and Pavey processed more than four million transactions through the platform. The total value crossed $430 million. The store sold a wide range of illegal items. These included controlled substances, stolen login details, personal identity information, fake currency, and hacking tools. Drug sales alone made up nearly $375 million of the platform’s total revenue.
The case has also drawn earlier attention to Hamilton’s role in the marketplace, including when a Suffolk man pleaded guilty to operating Empire Market, a dark web drug site.
The DOJ confirmed that substances sold included at least 13.3 kilograms of fentanyl, 446.7 kilograms of cocaine, 72 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 103.4 kilograms of heroin. Hamilton was no stranger to this world before Empire Market. He had previously sold fake U.S. currency on AlphaBay, another major illegal marketplace that law enforcement shut down in 2017. Empire Market drew direct inspiration from AlphaBay’s model.
Hamilton admitted in court that he and Pavey built the platform specifically to help users hide from law enforcement. They required all payments in cryptocurrency. They also pushed users toward mixing services and encrypted messaging to cover their tracks. Buyers could even rate sellers based on how well they hid drugs inside shipped packages.
Between April 2019 and May 2020, undercover agents made purchases on the platform. According to court documents cited by BleepingComputer, investigators bought methamphetamine and heroin through Empire Market. They also intercepted a separate package containing additional methamphetamine.
Hamilton and Pavey Lose Crypto, Gold Bars, and Properties
The financial penalties in this case are heavy. As part of his plea agreement, Hamilton agreed to hand over approximately 1,230 bitcoin and 24.4 Ether. He also surrendered three properties in Virginia.
Pavey, who operated under the name “Dopenugget,” pleaded guilty to a federal drug conspiracy charge in 2025. His forfeiture list is equally steep. According to the DOJ, Pavey agreed to give up roughly 1,584 bitcoin, two boxes of 25-ounce gold bars, three vehicles, and two Florida properties. His sentencing was scheduled for later in October 2026.
Authorities had already announced the seizure of about $75 million in cryptocurrency when they charged both men in 2024.
Empire Market’s Sudden Shutdown Left Unanswered Questions
Empire Market disappeared abruptly in August 2020. The sudden closure triggered allegations that its operators ran an exit scam, leaving users unable to access money held in escrow. Those allegations remain separate from what Hamilton admitted to in his guilty plea. They have not been established as part of the criminal findings in this case.
The 40-year sentence makes one thing clear. Using cryptocurrency, dark web infrastructure, and encrypted tools does not make someone untouchable. Law enforcement tracked, charged, and convicted the operators behind one of the largest illegal online markets ever recorded.
