Dark Web Marketplace Incognito Market Ends With 30 Year Sentence for Founder

Federal prosecutors closed one of the largest dark web drug cases in recent years with a lengthy prison sentence handed down in New York. The case centered on Incognito Market, an online platform that moved vast volumes of illegal narcotics while presenting itself as a polished ecommerce site.

Good to Know

• Incognito Market processed over $105 million in drug sales
• The platform operated for more than three years before shutdown
• Prosecutors say users lost funds during an exit scheme in 2024

Federal Court Delivers Lengthy Sentence

Rui Siang Lin received a 30 year federal prison sentence in Manhattan after admitting to running Incognito Market under the alias Pharaoh. Lin pleaded guilty in late 2024 to conspiracy to distribute narcotics, money laundering, and the sale of adulterated and misbranded medication.

Colleen McMahon ordered the sentence and approved forfeiture of more than $105 million tied to the operation. The ruling followed months of filings detailing how the marketplace functioned and how much money moved through its systems.

A Marketplace Built to Look Legitimate

Court records show Incognito Market ran from October 2020 until March 2024. The platform copied the look and structure of mainstream online marketplaces, complete with branding, advertising features, and customer support tools.

Vendors paid a five percent commission on every transaction. Buyers and sellers used an internal cryptocurrency bank designed to obscure identities and transaction flows. Prosecutors said that system helped the marketplace grow rapidly while avoiding detection for years.

Scale of Drug Sales Detailed in Filings

Authorities said Incognito Market facilitated the sale of more than 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and over 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine. Hundreds of additional kilograms of other drugs moved through the site, along with counterfeit prescription pills. Some of those pills contained fentanyl, raising concerns about overdose risk tied to the platform.

In total, prosecutors linked more than 640,000 transactions to the marketplace. Those trades involved roughly 400,000 buyer accounts and about 1,800 vendors operating across multiple drug categories.

Personal Profits and Final Shutdown

According to prosecutors, Lin personally collected more than $6 million while overseeing the operation. The platform ended abruptly in 2024, not through a law enforcement takedown at first, but through actions taken by its operator.

Prosecutors said Lin shut down Incognito Market by stealing user funds held in the internal crypto system. After the closure, he allegedly attempted to extort customers and vendors by threatening to reveal their identities and cryptocurrency addresses unless payments were made.

Those actions accelerated the investigation and added weight to sentencing arguments presented in court.

FAQ

Who operated Incognito Market?

Rui Siang Lin ran the platform using the alias Pharaoh.

How long did Incognito Market operate?

The marketplace operated from October 2020 until March 2024.

How much drug activity passed through the platform?

Prosecutors cited more than $105 million in drug sales tied to the site.

What sentence did Lin receive?

Lin received a 30 year federal prison sentence and forfeiture orders exceeding $105 million.

Why did Incognito Market shut down?

Prosecutors said the operator closed the site by stealing user funds and later attempted extortion.