FBI seizes ‘Silk Road' black market domain, arrests owner

Russia Today ^ | October 02, 2013 15:48

[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.

[liberalh8ter]

Sorry about your friend. I get it, having lost a family member to his addictions and yes, the addict is ultimately responsible but this low life facilitated and profited from supplying the poison. He's no different than the street corner pusher. Hope he gets his due....in spades.

[halo66]

Yes...he had a problem with alcohol about 20 years ago, but got that under control, got married had kids, great job as a CPA...he really could not pinpoint to me what was driving him to do this...obviously very depressed and his marriage was on the rocks.

[halo66]

Thanks, liberalh8ter...I agree completely that it was his ultimate responsibility. Over the last several weeks, I pleaded with him that he really needed to focus on being a dad to his kids...he just told me that if something happened to him , that his life insurance policy would cover his family...

[Lurking Libertarian]

Ah yes, the by now standard “sealed complaint”. It’s a great thing to live in a “free” country with lots of “rights”.

Sealed Complaints have been used in federal court for decades, to prevent the defendant from knowing that he is about to get arrested and fleeing the jurisdiction. The Complaint is sealed only until the defendants is arrested; then it must be unsealed and delivered to him.

[Ghost of SVR4]

Sometimes it is hard to understand the addict as they really don’t understand themselves that much after the addiction takes hold. I have a good friend and his wife just out of the blue went off the deep end with alcohol. Today she is barely alive and it shows. I’m betting one more good bout with her alcohol addiction and she is going to the grave but unfortunately there isn’t much that can be done at this point (rehab’s and half way homes just are not working).
Sorry to hear about your friend as I fear mine will be in somewhat the same boat soon.

[halo66]

Thanks, Ghost...I reached the conclusion awhile ago that the more likely scenario was the one that played out yesterday. Prayers sent for your friend...

[discostu]

If he wanted to try it bad enough to go through internet mail order involving a redirected currency he was gonna try it one way or the other. Eventually he would have met a dealer out in meat space.

[halo66]

You may be right...

[1010RD]

That’ll do it. Sorry to hear about that. Take care.

[Bobalu]

Survival kit contents check.

In them you'll find:

one forty-five caliber automatic;
two boxes of ammunition;
four days' concentrated emergency rations;
one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills;
one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible;
one hundred dollars in rubles;
one hundred dollars in gold;
nine packs of chewing gum;
one issue of prophylactics;
three lipsticks;
three pair of nylon stockings.

Shoot, a fella' could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.

[liberalh8ter]

I pray your friend's wife and kids get through this, unscathed. Unfortunately, in my family they didn't. We lost one a couple of years ago to suicide. Addicts aren't capable of understanding the wake of destruction they leave behind. You sound like you were a great friend. Please do what you can to help.

[discostu]

It’s the lesson of 6 degrees of separation. All you need to do is start asking people you know, eventually somebody knows somebody. Like you said, he was buying from a guy he met through somebody he met in rehab. And really if you don’t want to ask friends there’s always just going to a bad neighborhood and looking, eventually you’ll always find a guy who doesn’t move around a lot and shakes a lot of hands, that guy is selling drugs.

[Lazamataz]

More than likely he would not have tried it if he had to go out and find a dealer.

First, let me extend my condolences to you, and the family, for the loss of your friend.

But that said: I, sir, am a recovered addict. Trust me when I tell you, he WOULD have found another venue, and he would have likely died. If he was not street-savvy, as your statement infers, his vector would have been Oxycontin, either by scrip, or by club- and friend-bought pills. An active addict (and one does not have to have used yet, to have the addictive tendencies) who desires drugs will not be stopped. I know this through experience. I thank God EVERY morning and EVERY night that the obsession has been lifted.

[varyouga]

I suspect it is sealed so the Feds do not reveal how they found the server.

Tor would normally be almost impossible to trace with all the warrants, subpoenas, etc required. But with the Feds now scanning ALL traffic, it's much easier.

Let's thank the drug warriors for making the internet less free for ALL.

First they came for the druggies
Then they came for the FReepers
Then there was nobody left...

[halo66]

Thanks, Laz...I do appreciate it. Again, you are probably correct that he would have still gone out and found a way to acquire the drug, even without the internet. It just really pissed me off when I found out how easy it is to get on the internet and buy this crap. Note that I am not savvy when it comes to this whole drug thing and would not even know where to start if I was looking for a dealer...God bless you and your recovery from addiction...I just wish that my friend had found the strength to overcome this nightmare as you did.

[halo66]

Thanks:)I am so sorry for your loss...

[bert]

I won 104 auctions on the Silk Road

[halo66]

Yeah...I guess that is accurate, I have never asked someone from whom would I get drugs from...lol. It probably isn’t as hard as I think...All I know is that my emotions are so raw at the moment and seeing a website that offers this crap up in front of my face just gets to me.

[liberalh8ter]

Thank you :-)

[Dead Corpse]

My thought-line exactly. Kudos.