US prosecutors charged a German citizen accused of laundering DreamMarket proceeds through crypto and gold investments.
US federal prosecutors have charged German national Owe Martin Andresen, the suspected main administrator of the former darknet marketplace Dream Market, over an alleged scheme to launder proceeds tied to the platform’s operations.
The indictment, announced in Atlanta in May 2026, accuses Andresen of laundering funds connected to Dream Market administrator accounts after the marketplace’s shutdown in 2019. German authorities arrested Andresen last week on related charges filed in Germany as part of a coordinated international investigation.
Dream Market was considered one of the largest darknet marketplaces operating before its closure, allegedly facilitating the sale of narcotics, stolen data, counterfeit currency, malware, and other illegal goods through cryptocurrency-based transactions.
According to US prosecutors, Andresen allegedly moved illicit proceeds through cryptocurrency transfers and investments designed to conceal the origin of the funds. Investigators claim the laundering scheme involved converting digital assets into cash and physical gold while attempting to obscure ownership trails across multiple financial channels.
The charges follow coordinated searches carried out in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg on May 7, 2026. During the raids, German investigators seized approximately 11.5 kilograms of gold, Krugerrand coins, around €20,000 in cash, and extensive electronic evidence. Authorities also froze cryptocurrency holdings reportedly worth millions of euros.
US and German authorities allege Andresen attempted to launder hundreds of millions of euros connected to Dream Market over several years. The investigation involved cooperation between the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the DEA, Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), and regional cybercrime investigators.
Prosecutors said the case represents another major international effort targeting darknet marketplaces and cryptocurrency laundering networks used to support cybercrime and global drug trafficking operations.
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Reports are sourced from official documents, law-enforcement updates, and credible investigations.
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