U.S. Attorney Damian Williams | U.S. Department of Justice
Rui-Siang Lin, known by various aliases including "Pharoah" and "faro," has pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to his operation of the Incognito Market, a significant online narcotics marketplace on the dark web. This announcement was made by Edward Y. Kim, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Lin admitted guilt to charges of narcotics conspiracy, money laundering, and conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication. His sentencing is scheduled for March 27, 2025.
Edward Y. Kim stated, “Rui-Siang Lin led a prolific online narcotics bazaar that sold more than $100 million of narcotics around the world. While Lin profited millions of dollars from his sophisticated scheme, the community suffered. Lin and his 'Incognito Market' exacerbated the opioid and fentanyl crisis and put the community in danger. Lin now faces a lengthy term in prison.”
The Incognito Market began operations in October 2020 and continued until its closure in March 2024. It facilitated over $100 million in illegal drug sales globally through the dark web using Tor browser access. The platform allowed users to buy drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamines, heroin, LSD, MDMA, oxycodone, ketamine, and alprazolam anonymously.
Lin managed all aspects of Incognito Market under his pseudonyms "Pharoah" or "faro," overseeing employees, vendors, and customers while making key decisions for this multimillion-dollar enterprise.
The market mirrored legitimate e-commerce sites with features like branding and customer service but was primarily focused on illicit transactions. Users could log in with unique credentials to browse numerous drug listings offered by registered vendors who paid an admission fee plus a 5% commission on sales to fund market operations.
An undercover law enforcement agent's purchase revealed that supposed oxycodone tablets were actually fentanyl pills—highlighting the market's role in distributing dangerous substances.
Lin’s operation included an internal banking system allowing anonymous cryptocurrency transactions between buyers and sellers while collecting fees for each sale.
At age 23 from Taiwan, Rui-Siang Lin faces severe penalties: a minimum sentence of ten years up to life imprisonment for narcotics conspiracy; up to twenty years for money laundering; and up to five years for selling adulterated medications.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Food & Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI), alongside New York City Police Department efforts within an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening U.S security.
This case falls under Complex Frauds & Cybercrime Unit jurisdiction with Assistant U.S Attorneys Ryan B Finkel & Nicholas Chiuchiolo leading prosecution efforts.
