Texas Drug Ring Sentenced for Laundering $50K Monthly in Cryptocurrency

Six members of a Texas-based drug ring have been sentenced for their roles in a dark web drug operation, which laundered up to $50,000 per month in cryptocurrency. The group, operating as “Loverbois,” sold nearly 12 kilograms of meth. They processed about 20 drug orders daily between July 2019 and December 2020. Sentences ranged from … Read more

Woman Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison After Failed Bitcoin Murder-for-Hire Plot

A woman has been sentenced to over eight years in prison after her murder-for-hire plot using bitcoin fell apart. Melody Sasser attempted to use the dark web to hire a hitman to kill an Alabama resident. She paid nearly $10,000 in cryptocurrency and tried to make the murder look like an accident. Authorities discovered incriminating … Read more

Seattle Airport Hit by $6M Bitcoin Ransom Demand After Cyberattack

Hackers have targeted Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with a ransomware attack, demanding 100 bitcoins to buy the data back. Although the airport managed to fend off most of the damage, the attackers encrypted some data and posted stolen files on the dark web. Now, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is involved, and the airport refuses … Read more

Woman Sentenced to Prison for Bitcoin-Funded Dark Web Murder Plot

A Utah woman, Krista Renae Stone, 23, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for attempting to orchestrate a murder-for-hire using the dark web, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Monday. Stone targeted her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend, arranging to pay $5,000 in bitcoin to a website offering hitman services between March and … Read more

Queens Woman Indicted for Hiring Hitman With Cryptocurrency on Dark Web

A Queens woman, Yue Zhou, has been indicted on charges of murder for hire, following an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. Zhou allegedly used a dark web site to solicit a hitman, offering cryptocurrency, cash, and sexual favors. Murder for Hire via Dark Web The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a premier … Read more

Federal Agents Crack Down on Drug Ring Using Crypto Mixers

Holly Danielle Adams, 34, from California, has pleaded guilty to charges of drug distribution conspiracy and money laundering via cryptocurrency mixers. This case stems from an investigation by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, a federal team dedicated to combating all forms of illegal dark web and cryptocurrency activities in the Eastern … Read more

US Charges Empire Market Operators in $430M Dark Web Scheme — They Face Maximum Sentence of Life in Prison

The U.S. Homeland Security Investigations has charged two men for operating Empire Market, a dark web marketplace, facilitating $430 million in illegal transactions. The defendants face severe penalties, including life imprisonment. “During the investigation, federal law enforcement seized cryptocurrency valued at $75 million at the time of the seizures, as well as cash and precious … Read more

Woman Pleads Guilty to Using Bitcoin for Dark Web Hitman

In Salt Lake City, Krista Renae Stone, 23, pleaded guilty to using the dark web to arrange a murder-for-hire in 2023. According to court documents, Stone utilized bitcoin to pay $5,000 for the hit. Between March and September 2023, she accessed a website offering “hitman for hire” services, providing detailed information about the intended victim, … Read more

US Jury Convicts Two in $8M Crypto-Linked Dark Web Drug Scheme

A federal jury in Salt Lake City convicted Oluwole Adegboruwa and Enrique Isong, foreign nationals, of multiple drug-related charges. From 2016 to 2019, they generated over $8 million in cryptocurrency, including bitcoin and ethereum. Adegboruwa operated under the names “King Odua” and “Alagbada726,” converting cryptocurrencies to traditional currency. Sentencing is scheduled for August. The jury … Read more