Empire Market co-founder Raheim Hamilton sentenced to 40 years in prison for drug conspiracy; forfeits 1,230 BTC and other assets seized in federal enforcement action.
Regulation & Gov ·
Raheim Hamilton, co-founder of Empire Market, received a 40-year federal prison sentence for drug conspiracy and was ordered to pay a $5 million fine, according to U.S. Department of Justice filings. Hamilton agreed to forfeit approximately 1,230 BTC, 24.4 ETH, and three properties as part of his guilty plea. The darknet marketplace operated between 2018 and 2020, processing over 4 million transactions totaling more than $430 million, with nearly $375 million attributed to net drug sales.
The platform's design centered on cryptocurrency as the sole transaction method and actively promoted the use of mixing services to obfuscate transaction trails. Co-founder Thomas Pavey has also pleaded guilty and consented to forfeit roughly 1,584 BTC and additional assets; his sentencing is expected later this month.
The case represents a significant enforcement action against a major darknet marketplace, with substantial asset seizures tied to the cryptocurrency holdings of its operators. The final disposition of Pavey's sentencing and the exact timeline for asset liquidation remain pending.