TLDR
- FBI ran an undercover crypto money laundering operation using the name “ElonmuskWHM” for nearly a year after arresting its original operator, Anurag Pramod Murarka
- The operation processed millions in cryptocurrency from hackers and drug traffickers through a cash-by-mail service via a post office in Kentucky
- Murarka was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being lured to the US through an approved visa application
- The money laundering scheme used hawala networks to move funds, with cash often hidden in children’s books
- The FBI prevented an additional $1.4 million from being laundered while running the operation, which had processed over $20 million in criminal proceeds
In a case that reads like a thriller novel, the FBI ran one of the dark web’s largest money laundering operations for nearly a year after arresting its creator. The scheme, which operated under the name “ElonmuskWHM,” processed over $20 million in criminal proceeds before authorities stepped in.
The operation began in a small post office 40 miles outside Louisville, Kentucky. Packages arriving there looked innocent enough – often children’s books. But hidden inside were envelopes stuffed with thousands of dollars in cash.
This money came from criminals looking to convert their cryptocurrency into untraceable cash. The service was run by Anurag Pramod Murarka, a 30-year-old Indian national.
Murarka started his business around October 2020. He advertised on dark web forums like Dread, offering to convert cryptocurrency to cash for a fee. For “dirty” funds from criminal activity, he charged 20 percent.
A Growing Criminal Enterprise
At first, some users accused him of being a scammer or federal agent. Despite this skepticism, business boomed. Within months, he claimed to have processed hundreds of orders.
By January 2021, Murarka boasted of making 450 sales. He eventually called himself the biggest cash-by-mail provider on White House Market, a dark web marketplace where he advertised.
The service filled a critical need in the criminal world. Legitimate cryptocurrency exchanges require ID verification and cooperate with law enforcement. ElonmuskWHM offered complete anonymity, perfect for hackers and drug dealers with cryptocurrency they couldn’t cash out through legal channels.
Murarka’s operation expanded rapidly. He claimed to have “moved millions; doing multiple continents” and offered to move cash to any European country. He boasted he could transfer $100,000 overnight in the U.S. if needed.
In one brash message on Dread, he wrote: “Fuck LE, fuck the LAW.”
FBI Investigation and Takeover
The FBI discovered ElonmuskWHM’s advertisements in April 2021. By August, they partnered with the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to investigate.
Postal Inspector Joshua Smith arranged for a P.O. Box in Waddy, Kentucky, to receive cash mailed by ElonmuskWHM. The FBI made multiple undercover purchases, receiving cash hidden in torn pages of books, sealed inside multiple envelopes.
While posing as a drug trafficker, the FBI performed numerous undercover buys over many months. During these transactions, Murarka revealed personal details that helped identify him.
He mentioned working in geographic information systems (GIS), including with aerial drones, and claimed to have once been the CEO of a GIS company. These details, along with analysis of shipping patterns and money flows, eventually led to his identification.
The Money Mule Network
As the investigation progressed, the FBI identified one of Murarka’s money mules, a man in his early twenties from Westchester County, New York. After his arrest, this mule agreed to cooperate with authorities.
Wearing a hidden camera, the mule performed around 80 more cash pickups, moving over $15 million between February and September. The FBI tracked a network of men moving cash through convenience stores, bodegas, gas stations, and grocery parking lots across New York.
This operation relied on hawala, an ancient underground banking system used for centuries. Hawala allowed Murarka to move money without using traditional banking channels that might trigger suspicion.
Through various court orders and search warrants with companies like Apple, Binance, and Uber, investigators confirmed ElonmuskWHM was Anurag Pramod Murarka, who owned a third of a land surveying company in India.
The Sting Operation
In a clever twist, U.S. authorities approved Murarka’s previously denied visa application, knowing they would arrest him upon arrival. On September 30, 2023, they did just that.
Instead of shutting down the operation, the FBI made the extraordinary decision to run ElonmuskWHM’s business themselves. For nearly a year, agents posed as Murarka, continuing to process transactions and gather evidence against his customers.
This allowed them to investigate drug traffickers in Miami, connect to a robbery at knife point in San Francisco, and probe members of the Scattered Spider hacking collective, which was responsible for the MGM Resorts hack that caused hundreds of millions in damages.
During this undercover period, the FBI prevented an additional $1.4 million from being laundered.
In January 2025, Murarka was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. He will serve at least 85% of his term, followed by three years of supervised release.
This case highlights the growing intersection of cryptocurrency with traditional underground banking and the lengths to which law enforcement will go to catch criminals in the digital age.
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