DeepDotWeb Administrator Admits Darknet Conspiracy
A website owner who received millions of dollars in kickbacks for connecting internet users to Darknet marketplaces has pleaded guilty in a US court to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Thirty-seven-year-old Brazil resident Tal Prihar owned and operated DeepDotWeb along with his co-defendant and fellow Israeli national, 34-year-old Michael Phan.
Established in 2013, the site not only provided general information about the Darknet, but also featured links to specific sites where users could buy illegal firearms, malware, stolen financial data, illicit drugs, and other contraband.
Every time a user clicked on one of the links, which cannot be found via regular search engines, Prihar and Phan received a payment. In total, hosting the links illegally earned the pair approximately $8.4m, according to court documents.