A 23-year-old from Rochester, NY, faces 15 additional charges related to the exchange of stolen credentials and passwords on the darknet as part of an international criminal investigation into Genesis Market. This comes after his arrest in August 2023 on a murder charge, with the federal charge carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Key Insights
- On January 6th, 23-year-old Brandon Hall was arrested on charges connected to an international investigation involving the darknet.
- In August 2023, Hall was charged with the murder of Alec Rouse and criminal possession of a weapon.
- He is now facing 15 additional charges for his involvement in the exchange of stolen credentials and passwords on the darknet.
- Hall purchased 12 packages of stolen access credentials on Genesis Market between November 2019 and February 2021.
- The marketplace was shut down last year in an operation named “Cookie Monster.”
- The 12 packages contained about 1,100 stolen access details for various accounts.
- He remains in custody with bail set at $25,000 cash or $175,000 bond.
- The federal charge against him carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
A Rochester resident was arrested on charges in connection with an alleged international criminal investigation involving dark web fraud shops. U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of New York announced the charges on Tuesday, January 6th.
Brandon Hall, a 23-year-old Rochester resident who is already detained on a murder charge, is now facing 15 additional charges for his involvement in the exchange of stolen credentials and passwords on the darknet.
What We Know About the Incident
Hall’s bust formed part of an international criminal investigation into an illicit darknet market known as Genesis Market. The FBI had begun investigating Genesis Market back in August 2018.
Genesis Market advertised and sold packages of illicit data and access credentials such as usernames and passwords for email, computers, bank accounts, and social media that had been stolen from malware-infected devices from every corner of the globe.
According to a criminal complaint, Hall purchased 12 packages of stolen access credentials on Genesis Market between November 2019 and February 2021. The darknet marketplace was eventually shut down last year in an international operation dubbed “Cookie Monster.”
Transactions on Genesis Market were conducted using digital cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Monero. Digital assets were used as a method to avoid detection, highlighting the sophisticated methodologies by which cybercriminals operate.
The 12 packages Hall purchased on the marketplace comprised of approximately 1,100 stolen access details. The details included accounts for Venmo, Citi Bank, Twitter, AT&T, Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Google, Microsoft, PayPal, LinkedIn, Yahoo, Target, Amazon, and Walmart accounts.
In May 2023, a month after Genesis Market was shut by authorities, federal investigators were able to link Hall to the 12 transactions he made on the darknet marketplace. FBI agents executed a search warrant and seized Hall’s personal cell phone.
A forensic analysis of the seized item revealed information that confirmed law enforcement suspicions of Hall’s activities on the darknet marketplace. The evidence gathered off Hall’s seized cell phone cemented the basis for the charge to follow.
Charges and Arrest
In August 2023, Rochester law enforcement authorities alleged that Hall was involved in the murder and shooting of Alec Rouse. The victim was brutally shot with a .380 calibre handgun in North Plymouth Avenue.
In January 2024, law authorities executed an arrest warrant and charged Hall with second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Hall now also faces charges by criminal complaint with possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices.
He remains in custody over the murder charges with $25,000 cash bail or $175,000 bond. Hall is set to make an appearance U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen.
The fact that Hall is charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If he’s proven guilty, the federal charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A trial for a murder charge is scheduled to take place in July.
This specific case was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the leadership of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. The arrest and charges highlight the ongoing fight between authorities and the darknet exploitation of stolen data.
Hey there, I’m a dark web geek who’s been around for the last 8 years. More precisely, I’m livedarknet’s senior content writer who’s been writing about darknet marketplaces, tutorials, and cybersecurity stuff for educational purposes.