Fate of CyberBunker Operators Sealed - eviltoast

The CyberBunker was a web-hosting services provider operated from a former NATO bunker in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It provided hosting to multiple dark web marketplaces including, Cannabis Road, Wall Street Market, and Flugsvamp 2.0.

On December 13, 2021, the Trier Regional Court issued prison sentences of between one year and five years and nine months against the operators of the CyberBunker after finding them guilty of participating in a criminal organization. The defendants were also ordered to forfeit funds ranging from approximately €9,000 to €900,000. The court acquitted the defendants of aiding and abetting in the crimes committed through the platforms hosted on their servers.

Following an appeal by both the eight defendants and the prosecution, the Federal Court of Justice reviewed the verdict and issued its ruling on September 12, 2023. The court denied the defendants’ demand for acquittal and upheld their conviction of participating in a criminal organization. The court said that there was sufficient evidence to prove that the defendants were members of a criminal organization that “committed particularly serious crimes.”