German Darknet Vendors charged – Dutch-German group of perpetrators who had committed themselves to the profitable resale of large quantities of narcotics via the Darknet and who, in criminal proceedings that have meanwhile been finalized, were trading in more than 500 kilograms of amphetamines and several kilograms of Heroin, MDMA and ecstasy tablets have been detected.
The indictment of the Baden-Baden public prosecutor’s office dated 09/21/2020 lists 32 criminal offenses that are accused of a 26-year-old German citizen. The starting point of the investigation was the findings of the Münster Public Prosecutor’s Office in an complex investigation against a Dutch-German group of perpetrators who had committed themselves to the profitable resale of large quantities of narcotics via the Darknet and who, in criminal proceedings that have meanwhile been finalized, were trading in more than 500 kilograms of amphetamines and several kilograms of Heroin, MDMA and ecstasy tablets have been detected. When evaluating data carriers that have been secured from one of the gang members, the name of the accused was also established as the customer of 500 grams of amphetamine at the end of 2018 / beginning of 2019, whereupon the Baden-Baden public prosecutor took over the investigation against the relevant criminal record. During the search of the apartment on May 19, 2020, the drug investigators of the Offenburg police headquarters found not only large amounts of amphetamines and marijuana, but also indications that the accused had been drug trafficking for a long time. As early as June 2017, the – so far only partially confessed – unemployed defendant is said to have dealt with 120 grams of marijuana, in February 2018 with 150 grams of hashish, in September 2019 with 200 grams of marijuana. In 2020, the defendant continued to sell cocaine, amphetamine, hashish and marijuana to a number of buyers, sometimes in the 100 gram range. Separate investigative proceedings were initiated against these customers, they too received a visit from the criminal police and are now facing charges.
During the search of the apartment on May 19, 2020, the defendant behaved extremely unruly. According to the investigation, he allegedly attacked and bitten several police officers and set his dog on them. Not only did several officers hear bad abuse, but they also suffered injuries from the acts of resistance. Fortunately, the defendant’s attempt to snatch the service weapon from one of the police officers was prevented. When the defendant was to be taken to the hospital in Achern for a blood sample, he managed to escape despite being guarded by several officers from the Achern police station. The Baden-Baden public prosecutor’s office immediately obtained an arrest warrant from the local court, on the basis of which the defendant could be arrested on May 25, 2020.
The 2nd major criminal chamber of the Baden-Baden Regional Court, which has the charge of dealing with narcotics in no small amount in 9 cases, commercial dealing with narcotics in 20 cases, possession of narcotics in no small amount, resistance to enforcement officers, insults, bodily harm and attempted dangerous bodily harm on November 20, 2020 in meeting room 118 at 1 p.m. – with continuation on November 27 and December 18. and 21.12.2020 – negotiated, has so far summoned 10 witnesses and an expert who will comment on the question of placing the defendant in a rehab facility.
German Darknet Vendors Charged – Press release by Baden-Baden public prosecutor’s office can be found here
AlphaBay Vendor Fentmaster Responsible For Overdose Death Pleads Guilty – Chukwuemeka Okparaeke Netted Millions by Distributing Fentanyl Analogues and Synthetic Opioids Through a Darknet Marketplace and the United States Mail, Completing Over 7,000 Sales.
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Phillip R. Bartlett, the Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), and Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced that CHUKWUEMEKA OKPARAEKE, a/k/a “Emeka,” pled guilty to distributing U-47700, a controlled substance analogue of AH-7921; importing 100 grams and more of acryl fentanyl, a controlled substance analogue of fentanyl, from Hong Kong; and making false statements to prosecutors and investigators regarding the proceeds of his offenses. OKPARAEKE pled guilty today in White Plains federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román.
Through his guilty plea, OKPARAEKE admitted that in November 2016, he sold U-47700 to an individual (the “Victim”), who died from an overdose after using the drug. OKPARAEKE further admitted that his narcotics offenses involved 9.044 kilograms of acryl fentanyl, 6.957 kilograms of U-47700, 1.159 kilograms of furanyl fentanyl, an analogue of fentanyl, and 12 grams of 4-ANPP. As part of his guilty plea, OKPARAEKE agreed to forfeit 680.60963624 bitcoins – approximately $7,298,000 – in proceeds generated by his illicit narcotics sales.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As he admitted today, Chukwuemeka Okparaeke peddled highly addictive, and in one case lethal, opioids over the darknet. He also lied to agents and prosecutors about the whereabouts of more than $7 million in bitcoin proceeds from his illegal sales. Now Okparaeke will forfeit those illicit proceeds, and he awaits sentencing for his crimes.”
Postal Inspector in Charge Phillip R. Bartlett said: “This case represents the tragic impact of fentanyl and other illicit narcotics in this country. Mr. Okparaeke used the anonymity of the darknet to peddle his narcotics believing he would be shielded from arrest and prosecution. Postal Inspectors want to remind criminals there is no place you can hide when you use the U.S. Mail to facilitate your illegal activity. We will spare no resource to find you, arrest you, and bring you to justice for your illegal deeds.”
HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said: “This investigation identified Okparaeke as a darknet marketplace vendor responsible for the sale of highly addictive and deadly narcotics which resulted in a fatal overdose. The anonymity most seek by using the darknet did not shield Okparaeke, who is now facing the consequences of his actions. One overdose, one life taken, is one too many. To those who try to hide on the darknet while profiting off ruined lives, you will be found, you will be arrested, and you will be prosecuted.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Information, Complaint, other court filings, and statements made during public court proceedings:
From at least July 2016 through March 2017, OKPARAEKE imported kilogram-quantities of fentanyl analogues, including acryl fentanyl and furanyl fentanyl, and other synthetic opioids, including U-47700, from Hong Kong and China into the United States. To transact with customers and coordinate his narcotics sales, OKPARAEKE used a darknet website known as AlphaBay Market (“AlphaBay”), accessible only through a special software program that allows users to mask their identities and anonymize their internet traffic. Under the AlphaBay vendor name “Fentmaster,” OKPARAEKE engaged in more than 7,000 sales of synthetic opioids, which he shipped to customers throughout the United States using the U.S. Postal Service. OKPARAEKE paid a commission on each of his narcotics sales to the administrators of AlphaBay. In total, OKPARAEKE’s narcotics trafficking generated more than $7 million in illicit proceeds.
In November 2016, OKPARAEKE sold three grams of U-47700 to the Victim, an 18-year-old living in Vancouver, Washington, in an AlphaBay transaction. The Victim used the drugs purchased from OKPARAEKE and died in a U-47700 overdose on November 10, 2016. Prior to his death, the Victim researched Fentmaster online. On November 6, 2016, the Victim sent a friend a text message saying that he had purchased drugs from Fentmaster. The Victim subsequently left a review on OKPARAEKE’s AlphaBay vendor page confirming that he had received the drugs.
OKPARAEKE – who attended medical school before he began selling synthetic opioids on AlphaBay – used extensive measures to conceal his identity, including software to encrypt his internet traffic and communications sent from his cellphone. Using alter egos, he boasted online about his exploits as a darknet drug trafficker, offered advice to other drug dealers, and published a short story describing his criminal activities and his strategies for evading law enforcement. In January 2017, Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), in conjunction with HSI and USPIS, intercepted several packages containing kilogram quantities of fentanyl analogues that OKPARAEKE had imported from Hong Kong. Subsequently, in March 2017, law enforcement searched a drug premises OKPARAEKE maintained in Kearny, New Jersey. During the search, law enforcement seized more than 10 kilograms of U-47700, acryl fentanyl, and furanyl fentanyl, as well as a quantity of 4-ANPP and approximately 82 mailing envelopes containing smaller amounts of those substances that OKPARAEKE had packaged for distribution to his customers.
On September 15, 2020, OKPARAEKE met with representatives of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and USPIS. During that meeting, OKPARAEKE falsely represented that approximately 680 bitcoins – more than $7 million – generated by his narcotics sales on AlphaBay were not in his possession and control. In addition, OKPARAEKE falsely claimed that a third party had stolen the bitcoin from him through hacking and other unauthorized access to OKPARAEKE’s electronic accounts. OKPARAEKE subsequently surrendered the 680 bitcoins to USPIS and agreed to forfeit those proceeds as part of his plea agreement.
OKPARAEKE, 31, of Middletown, New York, pled guilty to one count of distributing U-47700, a controlled substance analogue of AH-7921, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of importing 100 grams and more of acryl fentanyl, a controlled substance analogue of fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment; and one count of making false statements in a matter within the executive branch of the Government of the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
OKPARAEKE is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Román on December 17, 2020, at 10:30 a.m.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding efforts of USPIS, HSI, CBP, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Department, the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, the Middletown Police Department, and the Vancouver, Washington, Police Department for their investigative work and ongoing support and assistance with the case.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Gillian Grossman, Olga Zverovich, and Sagar Ravi are in charge of the prosecution.
AlphaBay Vendor Fentmaster pleads guilty for overdose death, press release from DOJ can be found here
AlphaBay Vendor PHARMA-MASTER gets life in prison – Aaron Michael Shamo, the CEO of a nationwide dark net drug trafficking organization that distributed more than a half million counterfeit pills throughout the country, will serve life in federal prison after engaging in, and being convicted of, the most serious offense in the Controlled Substance Act. U.S. District Judge Dale A. Kimball imposed the sentence Thursday morning in Salt Lake City.
AlphaBay Vendor Aaron Michael Shamo, aka PHARMA-MASTER
A federal jury found Shamo guilty of organizing and directing a drug trafficking organization that imported fentanyl and alprazolam from China and used the drugs to manufacture fake oxycodone pills made with fentanyl and counterfeit Xanax tablets following a trial in August 2019. Forty-seven witnesses testified at trial and hundreds of exhibits were received into evidence.
The jury convicted Shamo, 30, of Cottonwood Heights, Utah, of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, three counts of aiding and abetting the importation of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, manufacture of a controlled substance, and two counts of knowing and intentional adulteration of drugs while held for sale. The jury also found Shamo guilty of aiding and abetting the use of the U.S. Mail in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering promotion and concealment, and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. Shamo was found guilty on 12 of the 13 counts in the indictment. The jury did not make a decision on the aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death count.
The nation’s opioid crisis was in full effect by the end of 2016, when Shamo was distributing his fentanyl-laced oxycodone around the country. Shamo distributed the controlled substances to other individuals for distribution in all 50 states using their storefront, PHARMA-MASTER, on the Dark Net marketplace AlphaBay and the U.S. mail. Federal law enforcement agents and prosecutors say an undercover purchase of 100 oxycodone pills is a substantial step in a drug investigation. Shamo sold more than half a million fentanyl-laced pills on the dark net. He also sold hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills locally. Prosecutors told the jury that Shamo became the person he set out to be – the Pharma Master.
Evidence at trial showed Shamo did the things leader and organizers do. He was in control of the majority of the functions of the enterprise. He established the dark web store front, hired employees, took charge of marketing and product placement. He was a drug dealer to other drug dealers. He had the contacts in China and ordered the fentanyl. Most significantly, investigators were led to Shamo as they followed the proceeds of the drug trafficking organization. He had sole access to incoming bitcoin payments from customers. Shamo referred to the organization as his baby and his empire, prosecutors argued at trial.
Shamo developed the fentanyl product through a dangerous “trial and error” process as he distributed it to individuals across the country, evidence showed. Experts say 1 milligram of fentanyl in a pill can have dangerous consequences up to and including death. Shamo received messages from customers that they were getting sick. His response, prosecutors said, was to send more pills to the complaining customers. There was no shortage of fake pain pills. Co-defendants in the case, who were responsible for packaging and shipping, used a vacuum to clean up pills from the floor because they believed it was not worth their time to pick them up because of the volume of pills they were manufacturing.
“Aaron Shamo knew the nation was on fire with opioids and he poured fuel on the flames, over and over and over, never getting burned himself, but causing pain and misery wherever his fire spread. Aaron Shamo could be considered the face of the opioid epidemic. He was a profiteer, callously making millions of dollars and living a life of leisure while exploiting those suffering through opioid addiction,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Vernon Stejskal said in closing argument during the trial.
In their sentencing memorandum, federal prosecutors told the Court that the true scope of the defendant’s victims cannot be calculated. Since Shamo sold the fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills in bulk to redistributors, the end users of the pills could not always be located by investigators. Evidence shows that more than 90 individuals died from subsequent overdoses.
“The defendant’s history and characteristics support the imposition of a life sentence. The defendant dedicated himself to building his drug trafficking empire and becoming rich. The defendant also new about the acute dangers of fentanyl but continued to produce fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills at an ever-increasing rate prior to his arrest,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Dark net drug traffickers falsely operate under the assumption that they are anonymous and untouchable. Dark net drug traffickers see the immense profit potential for the highest-volume sellers of opioids online – sellers like Shamo. A life sentence would deter current and future dark net drug traffickers,” they wrote.
“Shamo’s drug trafficking organization is a graphic example of the dangers in drug trafficking and the harm it causes individuals, families, and communities. At least 90 of Shamo’s retail customers have died. Because Shamo’s organization supplied pills to other drug distributors on a wholesale basis, it is impossible to know for sure how many have perished in this illicit drug network. Most of Shamo’s profit hinged on fentanyl-laced fake pain pills, and fentanyl is an extraordinarily poisonous substance,” U.S. Attorney John W. Huber said. “Congress mandated the life sentence imposed today, which implies that a bi-partisan majority of our nation’s policymakers agreed on this significant sentence for circumstances like those found in Shamo’s conduct,” Huber said.
“In 2016, Shamo sold 1 million fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills to unsuspecting buyers in every state in the union. While the total harm he caused can never be measured, at least 90 of his known customers have died from overdoses. The Court’s sentence today—life imprisonment—brings justice to the families of his deceased customers and everyone else affected by his crimes. The Attorney General’s Office extends its deepest sympathies to the families of the deceased, recognizing that not even a just sentence can restore what was lost. We remain fully engaged in our effort to combat the opioid epidemic by aggressively investigating and prosecuting drug dealers who prey on the addicted,” Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes said.
“The tragedy of the opioid crisis continues to this day, fueled in large part by those who use every method available, including the Dark Web, to sell their illicit goods to those with substance abuse addictions,” said Catherine Hermsen, Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations- FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. “The FDA will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to protect the public health and disrupt and dismantle illegal prescription drug manufacturing and distribution.”
“Aaron Shamo profited off of the pain and suffering of others in the hopes of becoming rich and famous. Shamo deserves to be held accountable for his actions. This investigation highlights the on-going struggle that our country faces with opioid addiction and the cooperative efforts needed to successfully dismantle criminal organizations targeting our neighborhoods,” Michael J. Tinkler, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Utah District Office, said.
“Today’s sentence is the result of a collaborative investigation between federal, state and local partners and exemplifies our commitment to dismantle major narcotics and money laundering operations in Utah,” said Eric Balliet, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Denver. “As this case shows, you can’t hide on the dark net. HSI will continue to use its considerable technological expertise to investigate criminals like Shamo who push dangerous drugs into our neighborhoods and contribute to the epidemic of opioid addiction in our country.”
“Mr. Shamo put at risk countless individuals addicted to opioids, through the sale of dangerous counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills. His drug empire affected the entire nation and today Mr. Shamo and the United States people received their justice,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Tara Sullivan. “We will continue to work together with our law-enforcement partners to dismantle criminal enterprises like Mr. Shamo’s, who intend to financially profit from the exploitation and suffering of our communities and Americans as a whole.”
“The conviction and sentencing of Aaron Shamo is an excellent example of multiple law enforcement agencies combining their expertise and resources to work on the common goal of taking down dark web vendors. These vendors work under the belief they are anonymous, selling dangerous narcotics such as the deadly fentanyl uncovered in this investigation. U.S. Postal Inspectors are committed to continuing our work to dismantle drug trafficking operations to keep USPS customers and employees safe from greedy drug traffickers who favor profit over human lives,” stated Inspector in Charge Melisa Llosa of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Phoenix Division.”
A restitution hearing in the case will be held in November.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vernon Stejskal of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Gadd and Kent A. Burggraaf prosecuted the case. Gadd and Burggraaf are Assistant Attorneys General in the Utah Attorney General’s Office. Special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, and Postal Inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Top Darknet Markets List with links, White House Market, DUTCH Market (dutchanonstore) and DarkMarket – Ever since Deep Web Market Empire exit-scammed, common question within the darknet users is – Where to go next? What is the most trusted and reliable market to buy drugs? After exit-scam of Icarus Market and unreliability of DeepSea Market we decided to create a list of top darknet markets with links. Most of these websites end with .onion links as an extension and are only accessible through Tor software. We spent a lot of the time in the last months researching these websites so most of these website in the list below are trusted and reliable drug darknet markets. This article will be updated when needed and will hopefully serve as the most informative and definitive guide for all deep web website enthusiasts.
Top Darknet Markets List 2020/2021
UPDATE: If you’re looking for a links for darknet markets, please visit hiddenindex.org . It’s a Tor links directory website updated live.
White House Market (WHM)
White House Market or WHM is a market made with a high level of security and anonymity. It has been built from scratch with privacy in mind. It has a forced PGP requirement and it accepts only Monero (XMR) as a payment option. It operates on the Tor Network.
White House Market Official Link – http://auzbdiguv5qtp37xoma3n4xfch62duxtdiu4cfrrwbxgckipd4aktxid.onion
Dutch Market, or Dutch Anonymous Drug Store (dutchanonstore) is direct-deal market made by one of the most trusted and reliable vendors from Empire and Dream Markets. It’s been established since December 2018. It operates on the clear web with FastFlux Proxy technology that hides original IP of the website. This is not traditional market and as such does not use escrow, this is direct-deal market and may not be useful to all of you.
Market is owned by top ex-Dream and Empire Market vendors offering large selection of drugs. All vendors on their site and verified and trusted. Reviews can be found here.
Official Link – dutchanonstore.to
DarkMarket
DarkMarket is darkweb marketplace that emphasizes customer support, quick dispute resolution, buyer protection and many more. Instead of having a general wallet, users are only spending their coins for individual orders. The market has been established since 2019.
DarkMarket Official Link: darkmarketsomqvzqfjudpd6t5eabgvvpplrbtzq6prervyogenlrlqd.onion
A: Yes, there are a few of them that are worth checking, like Versus Market, Torrez Market, Tor Market.
Q: What is the Versus Market URL?
A: Versus Market link: http://q2f7swt5yvbhciqqbbsidufu2vtkv6ivwy6g5i5ukejjlb2jeghd2had.onion
Q: Is Empire Market down?
A: Yes, Empire Market has been closed since August 2020.
Q: Is Icarus Market Legit?
A: Icarus Market it’s a scam market
The above list will be updated when needed giving you always a fresh list off newly darknet markets. Bookmark this page and don’t forget to check it periodically.
DeepSea Market Offline for more than 24 hours now – Is there anything to worry about?
LAST UPDATE: 14/10/2020 – DeepSea is gone. It remains offline for more than 48 hours now without any update from it’s admins. The moderator of DS sub-Dread added that there are slim to none chances that market is coming back. DEEPSEA STATUS – EXIT SCAM
NEW UPDATE 3: 13/10/2020 – DeepSea Market remains down for more than 30 hours. At this point there’s a small chance that market will come back considering there has been no updates from the admin team. It’s still early to say is this exit-scam or the server has been turned off/compromised. It doesn’t look like planned exit-scam, more likely technical server issues. BE CAUTIOUS IF MARKET COME BACK!
NEW UPDATE 2: 13/10/2020 – DeepSea Marketplace remains offline, more than 24 hours now. There has been confirmation from various vendors from the market, on Dread, that they did received they withdrawal yesterday, still, going offline for over 24 hours without any valuable explanation is not a good sign.
NEW UPDATE: 12/10/2020 – DeepSea Market remains offline, more than 14 hours now. There has been a new update from DS moderator, Atlantic, saying:
Hi all I would tell you something now. We do not have hot wallets at the market. I can’t go in more details but admin physically accessed the cold wallets today and processed all the requested withdrawals. The admin was online on jabber till 6:30 am GMT and from this post: /post/36d97a67d3cac961e962/#c-cd8b0d7b88fcab976b, it seems he processed the withdrawals before that.
I don’t know what happened after that but a trusted source told me that there was atleast one guy who hired DDoS attackers to attack our market and it happened last night. Now, it may be a possibility that a very strong attack completely fucked up the server while admin was away. Also, one of us has a conversation with a tech guy(Clownsec, pentester) we hired to fix bunch of things, he is working with head moderator and the senior moderator, they were online 48 mins ago on jabber but i wasn’t able to get hold on them. Admin is probably busy and is offline. I will update when I get more details.
UPDATE : DeepSea is offline for more than 12 hours now. Still no updates from admin team.
DeepSea Marketplace links (including vendor private urls) has been down for more than 8 hours. According to market moderator, Atlantic, market and it’s admins are still offline.
What we know so far? Atlantic, DeepSea Market moderator posted an update on Dread, saying:
Hi all
I’m aware that the market is down, including vendors private mirror, which was always online. I spoke to admin 10 hours ago, everything was very normal and we spoke like we speak generally. There were few issues reported and those were resolved ASAP. Few hours ago, admin was online on jabber and now he is offline, generally he doesn’t use jabber at this time, that’s why I’m not worried. I think it’s a tech issue or something wrong with servers, which are already under heavy DDoS attacks. Everyone who requested withdrawals yesterday were already processed. As soon as, I’ll hear something from the admin I’ll update everyone.
DeepSea Market moderator, Atlantic, notifying users about downtime on Dead
About 30 minutes ago Atlantic created a new Dread post saying that he’s a bit worried but still very optimistic. He added:
Hey all
I know it’s frustrating that market is offline from last eight hours. I’m still optimistic, as no vendor was locked out and each & every deposit was processed yesterday. Our link directory: http://sp4jpokprfuaznn6.onion/mirrors.txt is hosted on another server and it’s independent from the market server. We can see this is online and rotating mirrors are updating every hour but no-one can connect to the market. It is important to note that, we’ve manual withdrawals and in an exitscamming situation admins can keep the market online for days which would help them maximizing the profit but as market is offline that means something has gone wrong and maybe they aren’t aware of the situation. Admin talks to me at a very specific time, not going to reveal for OpSec reasons, all I can tell you is, I still have to wait(it can take hours) for him to come online. As soon as I hear anything, I’ll update.
Is this early sign for an exit-scam? At this moment no one can answer this question. From logical point of view it there’s not an incentive for market admins to exit this early, but considering that Bitcoin price has been up almost 10% in the last few days, anything is possible. At this moment it’s important to not create any FUD. DeepSea Market being offline for 8 hours may not be a bad sign at the start. Technical issues happens when you’re having that big site. Of course, at the other hand, we need to stay updated on the issues like this.
DeepINFO will keep you updated every hour. Don’t forget to check back this page for new information regarding DeepSea Market downtime.
AlphaBay Vendor Chemsusa, aka chems_usa, aka Chemical_usa sentenced to 17.5 years in prison – Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RICHARD CASTRO, a/k/a “Chemsusa,” a/k/a “Chems_usa,” a/k/a “Chemical_usa,” a/k/a “Jagger109,” was sentenced to 210 months in prison today for participating in a conspiracy to distribute carfentanil, fentanyl, and a fentanyl analogue over the “dark web,” including on AlphaBay and Dream Market, and for laundering the proceeds of his narcotics trafficking. CASTRO also was ordered to forfeit more than $4 million in criminal proceeds. CASTRO previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote, who imposed today’s sentence.
Fentanyl
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “For several years, Richard Castro used the dark web to sell prolific quantities of powerful opioids, including fentanyl and carfentanil. Castro’s drugs put lives in danger virtually every day – including the lives of the postal carriers who unknowingly delivered his product. Today’s lengthy sentence sends a clear message about this type of dangerous conduct.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment to which RICHARD CASTRO pled guilty, public court filings, and statements made in court:
From November 2015 through March 2019, CASTRO conspired to distribute carfentanil, fentanyl, and phenyl fentanyl (an analogue of fentanyl). Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is significantly stronger than heroin, and carfentanil is a fentanyl analogue that is approximately 100 times stronger than fentanyl. For most of the conspiracy, CASTRO and a co-conspirator dealt drugs over the dark web, using the monikers “Chemsusa,” “Chems_usa,” and “Chemical_usa.” CASTRO was an operator of these online monikers and the leader of this conspiracy. On one dark web marketplace, Dream Market, CASTRO boasted that he had completed more than 3,200 transactions on other dark web markets, including more than 1,800 on AlphaBay. The customer feedback for “Chemsusa” included, “Extremely potent and definitely the real Carf,” as well as “The Carfent is unbelievably well synthesized, keep up the amazing work.”
In June 2018, CASTRO, using the “Chemsusa” moniker, informed his customers that he was moving his business off dark web marketplaces and would accept purchase requests for narcotics only via encrypted email. To learn the off-market email address, “Chems_usa” required willing customers to pay a fee. An undercover law enforcement officer paid this fee, obtained the encrypted email address, and placed multiple orders with CASTRO. CASTRO’s co-defendant, Luis Fernandez, shipped narcotics on behalf of the conspiracy, including from New York City.
CASTRO’s customers paid him in bitcoin. CASTRO laundered his narcotics proceeds in several ways, including by funneling millions of dollars through his bitcoin wallets and by buying approximately 100 quadrillion Zimbabwe bank notes, among other valuables.
In March 2019, law enforcement searched CASTRO’s residence in Windermere, Florida. During this search, officers found, among other things, nine firearms, including an AR-15 assault rifle, and two safes that secured private keys to multiple bitcoin wallets. CASTRO also had several cars, including a Lamborghini and a Tesla.
In addition to his prison term, CASTRO, 37, of Windermere, Florida, was sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $4,156,198.18.
CASTRO’s co-conspirator, Luis Fernandez, was previously sentenced to 151 months in prison and four years of supervised release, and was ordered to forfeit $269,623.
Ms. Strauss praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the New York City Police Department for their outstanding investigative work. Ms. Strauss also thanked the Internal Revenue Service and the Orange County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this case.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Neff, Aline R. Flodr, and Ryan B. Finkel are in charge of the prosecution.
AlphaBay Vendor Chemsusa sentenced to 17 years in prison DOJ press release can be found here
Darknet Markets Links 2020 – After the darknet market (DNM) Empire exit-scammed DNM users have been having a hard-time to find a reliable source of scoring drugs online. DeepINFO went into investigative journal to find what’s current trends in DNM world, which markets are next go-to and what market should be trusted the most in 2020.
Ever since the darknet market Empire exit-scammed a month ago, users of DNM have been having a hard time to find most reliable marketplace to go to next. For more than a year Empire Market has been having a monopoly over the darknet drug sales and that was up until August 23 when Empire Market took the website offline after almost 5 days of DDoS attacks that crippled the website, making it unusable for vendors and buyers alike.
Since the exit, most users flocked to Icarus market that exited in less than a month after taking it’s place as a top market (by numbers of users, sales and vendors). So what many users of DNM is asking now is, where to go next? What’s the top market currently? Should I use markets or go with Direct Deals with reputable vendor? We decided to create a list of most reputable online places to buy drugs online.
For all darknet related information you should also check out new darknet forum called drug-road. This is a new DN community that’s starting to grow. There you can learn many new things DN related, check out about scammers on the darknet, get connections of reputable dealers and most important stay up-to-date in order to avoid being scammed. It’s wild west out there. Link for forum is in above picture. Stay safe.
Darknet Markets Links 2021
White House Market has been seen as a most-secure marketplace to date offering only Monero as a payment option for it’s customers. It’s privacy centric market with enforced PGP requirement. WHM is owned by a well-know group of people who used to own a lot of marketplaces that exit-scammed so caution is advised. As of now, White House is legit marketplace.
Dutch Anonymous Drug Store is a darknet drug store that’s currently operating via clearnet FastFlux Proxy Service. Tor is required to access the website. dutchanonstore is a project of 7 long-time vendor veterans on the deep web. It has been designed as a shop rather than a market, so there’s no Escrow available. Dutch Anonymous Drug Store has been probably one of the best options for the last 2 years considering that it’s been run by one of the most reputable vendors originating from original silk road. Easy of use, no DDoS down-times, no captchas, friendly customer service, best and highest quality of drugs, high selection of drugs.
Marketplace URL can be found on: https://dutchanonstore.live/
DeepSea marketplace is a new market that bas been created by 3 long-time DNM veterans. We covered DeepSea in a separate article that can be found here.
What do you think of the Empire Market exit-scam and this list we created? Let us known in the comments below.
Deep Sea Market is a marketplace based on AlphaBay market that has been founded by 3 reputable dark web veterans. It has been built with an aggressive and user friendly design. It has been coded from scratch from as early as 2018 and released on January 2020. While the market itself is legit (at least as of now) there are a lot of scam vendors operating like on any known marketplace.
Like we did previously with Empire Market we decided to create a public list of know scammers on the Deep Sea Marketplace as well to help all new users avoid being scammed.
SCAM LIST:
This blacklist is a community project to list all vendors that scam, selectively scam, ship bad product, dox customers, threaten, are LE or have been arrested/compromised by LE. Please use our comments section below to report any Empire Market Scam vendor if you believe a vendor should be added to this blacklist.
Please also keep in mind one thing. We make sure to only list vendors that we ourselves verified of being a scam. If, for example, you never had a problem with a vendor listed below, that does not mean he didn’t scammed anyone. So, please, avoid being selfish and supporting a vendor that you yourself had or have a great relationship. This is a community project, we want to help each other to stay away from scams. We will save people’s money in this way. Thank you!
LAST UPDATED: 23/09/2020
MickeyMouseNL (Selective scams. Alt-account of TomandJerry)
TomandJerry (Selective scams)
DrugsUK (Selective scams)
JaguarUK (Selective scams, alt-account of DrugsUK)
vanillasurf started selective scamming his cusromers. WATCH OUT!
HOW I CAN HELP?
If you want to help others please use comment below to report any vendor that may have scammed you or someone you know. We will verify and add him to this list.
UPDATE: – 8/24/2020 – EMPIRE MARKET IS OFFLINE FOR MORE THAN 3 DAYS NOW. There has been no updates from admin team in the last 24 hours. At this moment we can assume that Empire EXIT-SCAMMED.
For those of you who are asking what now? dutchanonstore.to is currently the largest and most easy to use shop that has been formed by ex Dream and Empire Market vendors in order to avoid scams and do direct deals with customers. It has been formed by most trusted vendors out there offering any kind of drugs.
UPDATE – 8/24/2020: Empire Market has been offline for 3 days now. No more updates from their staff members. At this moment we can say that there is a small chance of Empire Market coming back.
Empire Market is down for more than 2 days now, and this time it’s not the DDoS who took the Empire completely offline, rather the admins took the website off, to, according to their moderator Melbourne overcome an on-going DDoS attack against the market.
One of Empire Market links showing – “Onionsite Not Found” message
All Empire links are down as of now, including private vendor links. But what we know so far? Around 6 days ago a huge DDoS attack that targeted Empire started and lasted for days blocking any legitimate traffic. Apparently attackers cracked the Dread’s EndGame Captcha system that was programmed to slow-down or stop DDoS attacks against onion sites.
What started as a usual DDoS attack (EM was attacked a few months ago in the same way) ended with Empire Market admins taking their website with forum completely offline without saying much.
On August 5, researcher from RiskIQ a leader in attack surface management Yonathan Klijnsma posted on on Twitter about Empire Market being misconfigured allowing anyone to see their real IP address. Although this has not yet been confirmed a lot of posts on Dread, a reddit-like darknet forum pointed out that this is actually a phishing Empire link.
Empire moderator Melbourne posted on Dread 2 days ago a PGP-signed message saying:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA256
Hello Empire.
Our team is working tirelessly to overcome an ongoing DDOS attack against our market.
An attack on us is really an attack on you, our community. We do not take this lightly.
We are the #1 market and it is your trust that has allowed us to get here. Trust is earned over time. When dozens of admins were scamming in 2018 and 2019, we were the only market to stay loyal to you. This is who we are. Our character has not changed.
Many want to see us fall but we are not going anywhere.
Long live the Empire.
Melbourne, in the memory of Alexandre Cazes.
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=3/J/
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
It followed with another PGP-signed message 7 hours ago, adding:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA256
Beware the many false narratives and FUD circulating.
We are here and are hard at work. Doing anything safely takes time.
Melbourne
23 Aug 2020
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-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
In the meantime Empire is still down without many updates from their admins letting buyers and vendors in dark. What to do next? While waiting for Empire to come back check out our – Top Darknet Markets.
UPDATE: Se7en, one of the main market staff members responded on reddit-like Darknet Forum Dread, saying:
“If the market is still down in a couple of days i’ll make a post about the whole situation then, it’s early days and maybe the admins will bring it back. I can only speak directly for the forum which was initially taken down by DDoS, but i have taken it down now unless the market returns.”
Is this a bad sign? Only time will tell. We urge anyone to not trust ANYONE on the darknet anymore. No matter what was the cause of this downtime, you can’t just take someones’s hard-earned money without any explanation. Even if Empire Market comes back do not treat them like before. We as a community already had situations like this with Wall Street Market and many more before them.
We really hope that we are wrong on this one, but this isn’t promising at all.
Stay safe until next read!
Link to Dread Post where Se7en responded to one of the users asking about Empire status -http://dreadytofatroptsdj6io7l3xptbet6onoyno2yv7jicoxknyazubrad.onion/post/18b8c126cd212827d1d1
Agartha Market Review – SCAM OR NOT? – Agartha Market, an Agora clone with no real affiliation to the mentioned marketplace is a SCAM market. After doing investigation into the market we learned that it selectively scams user funds while allowing a lot of scammer vendors to operate on their site. While there are some legit vendors operating there (for who know what reason) Agartha Market should be avoided and treated like a scam market.
Agartha Market Homepage
What is Agartha Market?
Agartha marketplace is a dark web market created somewhere in 2019. It’s a feature-rich marketplace that accepts Bitcoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dash and Monero. Like previously Agora used names, Agartha is Agora clone, based on Agora source-code.
About Agartha Market
In their own words: The current age is one of obscurity and confusion. As long as these conditions prevail it is necessary that the initiatory knowledge of the “Darknet Mysteries” and the history of things prior to the beginning of this cycle, or age, remain hidden. Secret organizations offering valid initiations according to a true and traditional doctrine are no more than a shadow when the spirit of knowledge no longer gives life to the symbols that are only an external representation of the bound to what is called the spiritual Center of the World. At such a time the loss of the tradition is felt, especially when the direct and supportive relationship with the spiritual center is lost.
Is Agartha market related to Agora Marketplace?
Agartha Market is Agora clone with no relationship to the original Agora Market.
Agartha Marketplace LINKS (URL)
Official Agartha Marketplace URL: agarthaourmnyhq3.onion (SCAM)
Agartha Market Review – SCAM OR NOT?
Agartha Market is a SCAM market and should be avoided. Although there is a few of legitimate vendors operating there, there are 90% of scam vendors. Also, Agartha is selectively scamming it’s user funds so depositing funds is like playing Roulette.
Please visit our Markets and Shops page for other legit darknet marketplaces and drug shops.
Pleaseleave a comment below if you have been scammed by Agartha Marketplace.
