Thread by @ninaandtito

3 Germans Who Allegedly Operated Dark Web Marketplace with >1 Million Users Face U.S. Narcotics and Money Laundering Charges
Wall Street Market Moderator Located in Brazil Is Charged in Eastern District of California
defendants are in custody in Germany
justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/t…

“An “exit scam” was allegedly conducted last month when the WSM administrators took all of the virtual currency held in marketplace escrow and user accounts – believed by investigators to be approximately $11 million – and then diverted the money to their own accounts.”

“A defendant linked to Wall Street Market was charged yesterday in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento. Marcos Paulo De Oliveira-Annibale, 29, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, also faces federal drug distribution and money laundering charges for allegedly...

... acting as a moderator who, among other things, mediated disputes between vendors and their customers. Annibale, who used the online monikers “MED3LIN,” also acted as a public relations representative for WSM by, among others things, promoting WSM on websites such as Reddit,

... according to the complaint. The case naming Annibale was unsealed today when Brazilian authorities executed a search warrant at his residence.”

“The complaint affidavit identifies several cases that have been filed in the United States against WSM vendors. One darknet vendor who advertised on WSM is currently serving a 12‑year federal prison sentence after being convicted in the Western District of Wisconsin for...

... distributing a fentanyl analogue resulting in the overdose death of a Florida resident who ordered a nasal spray laced with the powerful opioid from the vendor.”

Here’s the affidavit:
justice.gov/usao-edca/pres…

This is my favorite part: