A German national, Patrick Schmitz (37), has been extradited from Colombia to the U.S. for allegedly creating and operating "The Versus Project," a leading dark web marketplace that ran from November 2019 to May 2022.
At its peak, Versus had 380,000+ registered users, 32,000+ product listings, and facilitated 300,000+ orders worth millions of dollars. The platform sold heroin and other illicit drugs, stolen IDs, counterfeit currency, malware, and hacking tools, using only Bitcoin and Monero to evade traditional financial oversight.
Schmitz, a co-founder, managed daily operations, recruited vendors and staff, and pocketed a share of the profits. He now faces 8 charges, including continuing criminal enterprise (20-year mandatory minimum, max life), narcotics conspiracy, and money laundering. The DOJ's message is clear: the dark web is no shield.
