An Indian national, Anurag Pramod Murarka, aged 30, has been sentenced to 121 months in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove. Murarka operated as an international virtual currency vendor under the aliases “elonmuskwhm” and “la2nyc.”
Court documents reveal that from April 2021 until September 29, 2023, Murarka ran a money laundering business advertised on dark net marketplaces. Customers contacted him through encrypted messages to negotiate exchange rates for cryptocurrency transactions. Murarka facilitated these transactions using a hawala operation based in India to deliver cash to his employees in the United States.
Murarka charged fees for his services and used them to compensate his employees and co-conspirators. He was aware that many of his clients were involved in criminal activities such as computer hacking and drug trafficking, which his operations helped conceal. In total, more than $20 million in criminal proceeds were laundered.
The FBI and USPIS conducted a joint operation leading to Murarka’s arrest. The FBI then assumed control of his online identity to continue undercover activities, resulting in law enforcement actions against several customers and preventing financial account takeovers exceeding $1.4 million. Additionally, counterfeit drugs and drug manufacturing equipment were seized.
Murarka is required by federal law to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before release, after which he will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
“Using the internet, the defendant provided his assistance to countless other criminals as they tried to conceal their stolen money and illegal drug proceeds,” stated Carlton S. Shier IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI Louisville Field Office remarked: “Gone are the days when cyber criminals...can sit safely...convinced of the limited reach of justice.”
Lesley Allison from USPIS added: “The successful conclusion of this case involving the sentencing of Anurag Murarka...shines a light on [our] relentless pursuit of criminals who think they can use the anonymity of the dark web.”
The investigation was carried out by FBI and USPIS with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf prosecuting on behalf of the United States.
