Alleged Nemesis Market founder charged by federal grand jury with money laundering, drug distribution

Summary: Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad has been indicted for founding and operating Nemesis Market, a dark web marketplace involved in the sale of illegal drugs and cybercriminal services. The site, operational from 2021 to 2024, processed over 400,000 orders and facilitated transactions worth nearly million. Authorities have charged Parsarad with conspiracy and money laundering, alongside efforts to shutdown the platform involving international collaboration.

Affected: Nemesis Market, international law enforcement agencies

Keypoints :

• Parsardan launched Nemesis Market in March 2021, with 150,000 users and 1,100 vendor accounts.
• The marketplace offered various illegal products, including drugs, stolen financial information, and malware.
• He faces multiple serious charges, including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
• U.S. officials, aided by international partners, successfully dismantled the marketplace in March 2024.
• The Treasury Department had already sanctioned Parsarad for attempts to reestablish the platform since its shutdown.