Dark Web Marketplace Operator Rui-Siang Lin Sentenced to 30 Years for $105 Million Drug Operation

TLDR

• Rui-Siang Lin, a 24-year-old Taiwanese national who ran the dark web marketplace Incognito Market under the alias “Pharaoh,” received a 30-year federal prison sentence.
• The marketplace processed over $105 million in illegal drug sales between October 2020 and March 2024, completing more than 640,000 transactions for hundreds of thousands of buyers worldwide.
• Law enforcement traced Lin through blockchain analysis, undercover purchases, and domain registration records that contained his real name, phone number, and address.
• Lin collected over $6 million in personal profits from the operation, which sold more than 1,000 kilograms each of cocaine and methamphetamines, plus other narcotics including fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills.
• The marketplace closure involved Lin stealing at least $1 million from user accounts and attempting to extort vendors and buyers by threatening to publish their information online.

A federal judge sentenced Rui-Siang Lin to 30 years in prison on Tuesday for operating one of the largest online drug marketplaces since Silk Road. The 24-year-old Taiwanese national ran Incognito Market under the alias “Pharaoh” from October 2020 until March 2024.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced the sentencing following Lin’s guilty plea in December 2024. He pleaded guilty to narcotics conspiracy, money laundering, and conspiring to sell adulterated and misbranded medication.

Incognito Market processed more than $105 million in illegal drug sales during its operation. The platform facilitated over 640,000 transactions and served hundreds of thousands of buyers across the globe. The marketplace operated on the dark web and could be accessed through the Tor web browser.

The platform sold more than 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and over 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamines. It also distributed hundreds of kilograms of other narcotics. The site sold more than 4 kilograms of purported oxycodone pills, some containing fentanyl instead of the advertised medication.

Lin collected over $6 million in personal profits from the operation. The marketplace charged vendors a 5% fee on every sale. These fees funded the site’s operations, including employee salaries and server costs.

Law Enforcement Investigation Methods

Investigators traced the operation through multiple methods including blockchain analysis and undercover purchases. The breakthrough came when authorities discovered domain registration records for the marketplace. Lin had registered the domain using his real name, phone number, and address.

The marketplace featured design elements similar to legitimate e-commerce websites. It included branding, advertising, and customer service features. Users could browse thousands of drug listings after logging in with unique credentials.

Incognito Market operated its own internal banking system called the Incognito Bank. Users could deposit cryptocurrency into personal accounts on the platform. The bank allowed buyers and sellers to remain anonymous from each other during transactions.

Educational Background and Operations

Lin studied at National Taiwan University before completing Taiwan’s civilian alternative service. He served in St. Lucia in a technical assistance role. During his time there, he taught local police officers about cybercrime and cryptocurrency while simultaneously running the drug marketplace.

In January 2022, Lin announced a policy change that explicitly permitted vendors to sell opiates on the platform. This led to the sale of fake prescription medications. An undercover law enforcement agent purchased tablets advertised as oxycodone in November 2023 that tested positive for fentanyl.

The operation contributed to at least one confirmed death. A 27-year-old Arkansas resident died on September 13, 2022, after consuming purported oxycodone purchased on Incognito Market. Testing showed the pills contained fentanyl instead of oxycodone.

Platform Growth and Closure

The marketplace grew to serve more than 400,000 buyer accounts. Over 1,800 vendors sold drugs through the platform. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton stated that Lin exacerbated the opioid crisis and caused harm to more than 470,000 narcotics users and their families.

Lin closed the marketplace in March 2024 by stealing at least $1 million from user deposits. He then attempted to extort both vendors and buyers. Lin demanded payment or threatened to publish their user history and cryptocurrency addresses online.

Lin received five years of supervised release in addition to his prison sentence. The court also ordered forfeiture of $105,045,109.67.

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