Posted on 10/02/2013 9:18:08 AM PDT by Pan_Yan
Authorities have arrested a man in San Francisco, California accused of operating an underground website that allowed users to purchase guns and drugs from around the world using encrypted, digital currency.
Ross William Ulbricht, also known as “Dread Pirate Roberts,” was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in the Silk Road online marketplace, according to court papers published this week.
A sealed complaint dated September 27 was unearthed by security researcher Brian Krebs in which Ulbricht is accused of narcotics trafficking conspiracy, computer hacking conspiracy money laundering conspiracy and more.
According to prosecutors, Ulbricht aided in the trafficking of controlled substances from January 2011 up until last week. The authorities say that the narcotics moved through the Silk Road site included 1 kilogram of heroin, 5 kilograms of cocaine, 10 grams of LSD and 500 grams of methamphetamine.
Additionally, prosecutors say Ulbricht solicited a Silk Road user in March of this year to “execute a murder-for-hire.” The would-be victim, according to the FBI, was another use of the website who “threatened to release the identities of thousands of users of the site.”
By relying on users to conduct deals through anonymizing software and with the encrypted Bitcoin digital currency, Silk Road has made waves since 2011 as an online hub for illegal activity. Prior to being shut down, customers computer savvy enough to navigate through the site were presented with a plethora of products to be purchased using Bitcoin, including illegal firearms, drugs or, reportedly, assassins.
Ping.
o-oh. Suddenly I’m glad I didn’t jump for any Bitcoins yet. Banksters have passed the word to Jarrett - “Fix this. They’re stepping on our turf.”
The authorities say that the narcotics moved through the Silk Road site included 1 kilogram of heroin, 5 kilograms of cocaine, 10 grams of LSD and 500 grams of methamphetamine.
And all through those tiny wires too.
Ya gotta host these kinds of sites in Myanmar or Gabon. And live there...
The new ones you can take through your Bluetooth.
Can we prosecute Algore then as well? After all, he invented the Internet and all of this happened on the Internet...
Ah yes, the by now standard “sealed complaint”. It’s a great thing to live in a “free” country with lots of “rights”.
In a sane, and free, World... We’d be encouraging this free market use to circumvent foreign tyrannies restrictions.
But now, we is one...
My best friend passed away yesterday from substance abuse (heroine)...he started his habit from purchasing drugs from Silk Road using Bit Coin as the method of transferring money...Good riddance to these internet scum!
"The internet is not a big truck, it's a series of tubes."
So somebody forced him to ingest heroin!?
Those bastids!
The FBI was just eliminating the competition.
/s
“A feller could have a pretty good time in Vegas with
that much stuff...”
Nobody forced him, but the ease of acquiring it over the internet is the issue. More than likely he would not have tried it if he had to go out and find a dealer. BTW...thanks for your compassion.../s
Thank goodness for global enforcement by benevolent police! GO BENEVOLENT GLOBAL POLICE! Here’s some more tax dollars.
Sorry for your loss. I had never heard of this outfit.
At the same time, frankly, if he was indeed your best friend it’s probably more appropriate to ask “where was I when my best friend needed me” than “where is the sympathy now that I want it from the internet.”
I was there until the end...just saw him in rehab a few weeks ago and was communicating with him the day before his wife found him...he actually ended up finding a local dealer (cheaper than Silk Road) from a “friend” in his sober living house after getting out of rehab...epic fail!
That is just stone cold heartless.
So he was a straight arrow up until finding the landing page for the Silk Road?
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