As the scheduled May 15th sentencing for Ross Ulbricht approaches Preet Bharara's office is once again engaging in brinkmanship and shenanigans aimed at subverting actual applications of justice. At the sentencing hearing the prosecution plans to present new evidence, which apparently wasn't good enough for the trial, that supposedly links six overdose deaths to drugs allegedly purchased on the Silk Road. Ulbricht's attorney Josh Dratel has requested the sentencing be delayed another month to prepare a response to the government's latest assertion. Continue reading
Category Archives: Darkmarkets
Federal Agent Sells Firearms Via Darknet Market
Patch.com reports the arrest of a Massachusetts man who sought to purchase a firearm and silencer from a darknet market website. Unfortunately for 21 year old felon Justin Moreira, the Walther PPK he ordered was sold to him by none other than a federal agent masquerading as a legitimate arms dealer.
Moreira is believed to have paid USD $2,500 in bitcoin for the firearm and silencer which was then shipped by federal agents to a post office box in Hyannis, MA. Upon Moreira retrieving the package, federal agents moved in to arrest the young man. Continue reading
Subpoena Requests Data On /r/DarkNetMarkets Users
Wired reports that earlier this month, a Baltimore ICE agent subpoenaed Reddit for the personal data of five users who frequent the subreddit /r/DarkNetMarkets. Requested information included names, IP addresses, the dates and times that they accessed Reddit, phone numbers as well as any financial information. The five users mentioned in the subpoena include NSWGreat, evosmith, Z-L, GWERN and DEEPTHROAT_. Continue reading
Evolution Shuts Up Shop, Taking User Funds With It
In a forum where its users discuss the buying and selling of drugs in full view of the public, rumours are circulating that the darknet market place named Evolution has closed its doors with the owners taking with them anywhere up to 43,000 BTC in user funds.
Deepdotweb first reported yesterday on the difficulties Evolution users were facing in withdrawing their bitcoins. To placate those users, Kimble, one of the owners of Evolution provided this explanation for the delay: Continue reading
Australian Drug Trafficker Sentenced To 12 Years Prison
An Australian man who late last month plead guilty to drug trafficking charges in relation to the importation of MDMA, cocaine and amphetamines into Australia was yesterday sentenced to 12 and a half years prison. Continue reading
Silk Road Moderator Pleads Guilty, Faces Life Imprisonment
A 42 year old man who waived his extradition rights and was subsequently extradited from Australia to the United States last November today plead guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit narcotics trafficking and money laundering for his role as a moderator of the Silk Road forum. Continue reading
Ross Ulbricht Seeks New Trial
As expected, Ross Ulbricht is now seeking a new trial in an attempt to overturn his conviction for narcotics trafficking, money laundering and others. USA Today reports that earlier today, Ulbricht's lawyer filed legal arguments which suggest prosecutors for the State: Continue reading
Australian Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty
An Australian man, who was a member of the Rebels MC at the time of his arrest, today plead guilty to charges of drug trafficking after he was arrested in 2014 for the importation of MDMA, cocaine and amphetamines despite the drugs being intercepted by police in the Australian states of Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. Continue reading
Silk Road Meth Dealer Pleads Guilty
A drug dealer who sold 17.6 pounds of methamphetamine totalling 3169 orders via the original Silk Road today plead guilty for his role in what was a four man operation.
Jason Weld Hagen, who went by the name hammertime on the SR, was arrested back in December of 2013 and originally plead not guilty. Hammertime's operation came unstuck after another man who was facing drugs charges agreed to cooperate with law enforcement. With that assistance, federal agents in Maryland ordered 17.5g of meth over the December 2012 to January 2013 period. Continue reading
British Darkmarket Ricin Arrest
A British man, Mohammed Ammer Ali, was arrested after allegedly attempting to buy ricin powder. He however was transacting with an FBI agent who fraudulently sent 5 vials of harmless white powder that was not the ricin he was alleged to have paid $500 for. The counterfeit ricin was marketed as actual ricin on a darkmarket website and delivered to Mister Ali hidden inside of a toy car. Ali is a father of two who is now facing charges under the United Kingdom's Chemical Weapons Act for receiving a toy car full of a substance that was not ricin at all. Continue reading