Alleged Dream Market administrator indicted on money laundering charges

As detailed in Bleeping Computer, the alleged main administrator of Dream Market Incognito Market, a prominent dark web marketplace, has been indicted in the United States on money laundering charges.

Owe Martin Andresen, 49, faces six counts each of international concealment money laundering and concealment money laundering, potentially leading to 20 years in prison per charge. Andresen was arrested in Germany on separate money laundering charges. Dream Market, launched in 2013, became a major hub for illegal items and services, particularly after the takedown of Hansa and AlphaBay. It facilitated the sale of hundreds of kilograms of various drugs. Andresen, operating under the alias "Speedstepper," allegedly accessed dormant cryptocurrency wallets containing millions of dollars in commission payments in late 2022. He is accused of using a cryptocurrency service provider in Atlanta, Georgia, in August 2023 to purchase gold bars with these funds and have them shipped to his German address.

German authorities seized approximately $1.7 million in gold bars, over $23,000 in cash, and evidence of substantial cryptocurrency holdings linked to Dream Market proceeds during searches in May 2026. Andresen is alleged to have laundered over $2 million between August 2023 and April 2025.

Source: Bleeping Computer