The French government has updated its list of advisories for its citizens headed to the United States to include a warning that comments attitudes or jokes of a sexual nature which would be harmless in civilized Latin countries can lead to criminal court in the United States, with even children susceptible to prosecution for a broad range of related charges. The addition to the advisory reads: Continue reading
Author Archives: Aaron 'BingoBoingo' Rogier
Shaun Bridges Pleads Guilty to Silk Road Theft
Shaun Bridges who was charged the same day as Carl Mark Force IV has plead guilty to money laundering and obstruction of justice charges. Bridges as an agent of the United States Secret Service used passwords he coerced from a customer service representative of the Silk Road to move what prosecutors describe as $820,000 in Bitcoin value to a Bitcoin address under his control from Silk Road accounts.
Hulk Hogan Puts Denton's Control of Gawker Media on Life Support
A Pinellas county Florida suit by Terry 'Hulk Hogan' Bollea against Gawker Media and two private individuals, Heather and Bubba "the Love Sponge" Clem, is part of a storm of misfortune that is placing Nick Denton's continued control of Gawker Media in jeopardy. The lawsuit relates to Gawker's publication of a sex tape where Bollea fucks Heather Clem. The tape also features Bubba "the Love Sponge Clem" giving his blessing for the coital act between Bollea and his ex-wife Heather. The Hulkster is seeking $100 million in damages against Gawker Media for their role in the publication of this sex tape. Gawker posted the tape on October 4th 2012 and an injunction was issued in April 2013. As of the time of this reporting the original post features a link that they purport still hosts the video though it no longer does. Continue reading
Reddit Outrage Reveals Y Combinator Censorship Agenda
This week under the guise of a new "harassment policy" Reddit banned a number of forums from their site including the incredibly popular /r/fatpeoplehate which boasted more than 150,000 subscribed members. Substantial outrage ensued on the Reddit which lead to expressions of anger towards interim Reddit CEO Ellen Pao and classic fat hate images dominating the aggregated Reddit /r/all feed. While this may be Reddit's Digg inflection point which leads it to popular irrelevance, this episode exposes a larger long term trend of encroaching censorship in Silicon Valley companies and startups. Especially in ventures connected to startup fermenter Y Combinator. Continue reading
Exodus From New York Begins
In the wake of New York's adoption of regulations which seek to regulate rather than submit to Bitcoin, Erik Voorhees has taken his altcoin exchange startup ShapeShift.io and taken it out of New York. Voorhees previously acquired the fledgling accountless Bitcoin gaming site Satoshi Dice leading it to a long reign as the most popular Bitcoin gambling site of the time. Stock in Satoshi Dice was traded on MPEx as S.DICE where it similarly enjoyed a long reign of popularity until Voorhees sold the site in full to close the security as part of a settlement with the United States Security and Exchange Commission over his first Bitcoin startup FeedzBirds. The exodus of businesses from New York, the United Kingdom, and other jurisdictions that wish to regulate themselves out of relevance in the Bitcoin space is likely to continue.
Bharara Seeks To Prosecute Silk Road Trial Commenters
Popehat has obtained a subpoena pushed through by Preet Bharara's office seeking information on a number of persons who commented on a May 31st article by Nick Gillespie published on Reason Magazine's website. The article in question concerned Ulbricht's pre-sentencing letter to Judge Katherine Forrest. Preet Bharara's office intends to prosecute the emotionally distraught commenters under the Federal Statute prohibiting the interstate communication of threats. This is the same statute under which just days ago a conviction won by Federal prosecutors from another office was overturned and sent for retrial under more restrictive jury instructions as criminal threats must be demonstrated to have a culpable state of mind on the part of the speaker for them to be actually criminal. Let us consider each of the eight instances of speech that Preet Bharara wants to prosecute as criminal: Continue reading
US Government Shuts Down US Government Drug Manufacturing Operation
The United States Food and Drug Administration has shut down a drug lab operated by the National Institute of Health in order produce drug samples used in clinical trials. The National Institute of Health responded to the shut down by announcing a suspension of operation for their Pharmaceutical Development Section and revealed that the contaminated product which the Food and Drug Administration ordered the shut down over was a common injectable solution of albumin used for facilitating the delivery of pharmacologically active chemicals that had become contaminated by fungus. At this point it is clear that the endemic decay affecting the apparatus of the United States Government is not restricted to its facilities for deploying violence but has indeed spread mycelium even into operations tasked with promoting the health and well being of the public.
3 Years Prison For Backpack Full of Cash in Winnipeg
Erwin Speckert was sentenced to three years of prison after a money laundering conviction derived from his arrest while boarding a Greyhound bus with $1.3 million Canadian Dollars in his backpack. Speckert plead guilty back in October and the sentence was arranged this week through agreement between the prosecution and defense lawyers. Speckert had requested his security screening be done in private due to the sensitivity and value of his backpack's contents and after he was assured by the private security officer who screened him that taking that much cash on him was kosher, the private security officer phoned police who assert Speckert consented to a second search conducted by them. Police further assert that Speckert was determined by their investigation to be working as a courier for "illegal gaming" operators. Speckert throughout his time consenting to security searches at the bus station asserted he intended to purchase real estate and was conveying cash in this manner as he reasonably did not trust banks.
NYDFS Announces Final Bitlicense Rules
As the days wind down before Benjamin Lawsky leaves the New York Department of Financial Services for private practice, Lawsky unveiled the final version of his New York Bitlicense proposal at an event in Washington DC. The full text of the document is available below: Continue reading
Dotcom Scores Victory Against Forfeiture in New Zealand Court
New Zealand court Justice Rebecca Ellis has issued a ruling which strikes a serious blow against the efforts of the United States to seize the assets of entrepreneur Kim Dotcom. After March's United States court ruling which sought to seize Dotcom's assets through a legal construction known as the "fugitive disentitlement doctrine" and efforts by New Zealand's Commissioner of Police to assign Dotcom's property to the Crown, Dotcom and his attorney Bram Van der Kolk sought relief through judicial review of the actions in New Zealand courts. Continue reading