According to CoinDesk, federal prosecutors in Illinois, USA, have indicted two men, accusing them of owning and operating the dark web market Empire Market. Defendants Thomas Pavey (38, Florida) and Raheim Hamilton (28, Virginia) are accused of operating Empire Market between 2018 and 2020, during which the website processed $430 million worth of transactions, where users could anonymously purchase illegal goods and services. All transactions were conducted in cryptocurrency. Empire Market closed in August 2020. Pavey and Hamilton have already been detained on another charge, and prosecutors have previously accused them of selling counterfeit currency on another dark web market, AlphaBay, which was closed in 2017. The new charges include conspiracy to engage in drug trafficking, computer fraud, access device fraud, counterfeiting and money laundering. According to a press release from the Department of Justice, the maximum penalty for these charges is life imprisonment. During the investigation, law enforcement seized $75 million worth of cryptocurrency, as well as some cash and precious metals. Pavey and Hamilton's court date has not yet been determined.