Leads
A Slovakian man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in St. Louis this week, following allegations that he operated a dark web marketplace caled "Kingdom Market" involved in the sale of illegal drugs, stolen financial information, counterfeit money, IDs, and computer malware.
USA Arrest
Alan Bill, a 30-year-old resident of Bratislava (Capital of Slovakia), was apprehended at an airport in New Jersey last week after being charged by federal authorities with drug trafficking, identity theft, and money laundering.
Surveillance
Over a period of more than two years, Bill meticulously developed and managed Kingdom Market, a website that could only be accessed through specific programs and servers designed to ensure the anonymity of its users. The indictment against Bill reveals that customers utilized cryptocurrency to purchase illicit goods and even engaged in discussions on a separate forum, where they exchanged information on evading law enforcement.
Evidence
During the months of August to October, undercover officers successfully placed multiple orders for drugs through Kingdom Market, which were subsequently delivered to various post office boxes located in St. Louis and Festus.
In addition, they proceeded to place an order and subsequently obtained a passport, along with informational packets encompassing the personal details of over a dozen individuals, such as their names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and addresses. Furthermore, they acquired templates for Missouri driver's licenses for each individual.
Kingdom Falls
Upon the closure of Kingdom Market by federal authorities, it was discovered that the platform had an excess of 25,000 active listings.
Presently, Bill is confronted with a total of 10 federal charges, which include the distribution of controlled substances, fraudulent activities, identity theft, and money laundering.
U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming, in a news release, expressed that this case is the outcome of the diligent efforts exerted by a team of both U.S. and international investigators, who aimed to target one of the largest darknet marketplaces worldwide.
