Post: #26

Making money that can't be taxed is a terrible crime!

Post: #27

This is a long article, but explains what happened very well.

http://www.wired.com/2015/04/silk-road-1/

Post: #28

So the story about the hit that he "put out" and the FBI faked was made up?

It seems obvious in hindsight, being a complete ripoff of breaking bad. But damn if I didn't believe that.

Fucking government propaganda, they're so good at what they do.

Post: #29

(05-29-2015 07:16 PM)007 Wrote:  In this case I think the sentence is justified. The guy created a platform that supported international drug trafficking, arms sales and a whole host of other illegal trade.

The guy was also a racketeer, taking a cut of everything that was sold on his 'patch'.

Other traffickers / racketeers get similarly long sentences so this doesn't seem to be out of the ordinary.

So if I set up a site that allows broads to hook up with guys that have zero problem giving them Land Rovers for the simple pleasure of getting laid should I go to prison?

I guess some might call me a pimp...

Post: #30

(05-30-2015 03:20 AM)Lizard King Wrote:  Making money that can't be taxed is a terrible crime!

Post: #31

Why is it a surprise to anybody here that a website set up for the specific purpose of allowing users to buy and sell illegal activities and substances would result in criminal charges and a criminal conviction for the person who set up that website?

Post: #32

If you're not paying the IRS and make millions outside of the regular areas of control you can go to prison. US Patriot Act must have been used to seize those servers.

Post: #33

I agree with your argument in a strictly 'business' context. Most business principles apply to illegal businesses too. But let's not forget, he was operating a internationally active illegal business. The guy was a trafficker, plain and simple.

As another poster stated, he created a platform for the express purpose of the distribution and sale of illegal contraband, and he got fucked.

(05-30-2015 02:44 AM)Kabal Wrote:  

(05-29-2015 07:38 PM)Ziltoid Wrote:  

(05-29-2015 07:16 PM)007 Wrote:  The guy was also a racketeer, taking a cut of everything that was sold on his 'patch'.

By this logic I guess eBay and Amazon are engaged in massive racketeering.
How does charging people that voluntarily use your website a fee equate to racketeering?

Furthermore, receiving compensation for creating a secondary market is a very natural part of many occupations, and life in general.

The entire edifice of financial markets is built on this principle--a straightforward example is when you go to the airport, the the foreign currency exchange kiosks buy currency X at a lower price than they sell it. A non-financial example would be used car sales. They're "taking a cut," and rightfully so, for going through the trouble of creating a market by connecting buyers and sellers.

Post: #34

Title is incorrect. I can find no news source that says he was sentenced to life without parole, just life. He might never get out, but he will be eligible for parole in 20 or 25 years.

Also, while I think all drugs should be legal, I do not think soliciting murder is an acceptable business practice. The guy paid out something like 650,000 in bitcoins to some scam artist he thought was performing murders for him. He even got sent fake body pics like in Breaking Bad. True, no actual murders were committed, but he thought they were and was perfectly happy to order it and pay for it.

Also, he was not some sort of idealist. He just wanted to profit from the drug war. No different than the DEA or private prisons or any other scumbag opportunist.

I'd say he deserves about 0 years in prison for the drug sales, about 5 years for money laundering and tax evasion, and about 15 years for the murder solicitation. 20 year sentence, let him out in 12 years if he behaves. That's what I would do.

But the powers that be wanted to prosecute and sentence him for the drug stuff to score political points.

Post: #35

Why not use him/his website to locate other criminals instead of putting in him in jail?
The justice system has accomplished nothing because now more websites like silk road are going to pop up.

Post: #36

The reason they came down hard on him is because he came up with a useful model where people could do business outside the prying eyes of the government. The drugs are really irrelevant. Someday, the same model could be used to sell banned illegal books on men's rights. The government wants total control. That's why they see this as more serious than murder.

Post: #37

I used to use silkroad before it got shutdown

And there is some misinformation in this thread, arms and weapons were not allowed on silk road. It was in the beginning but later banned.

Post: #38

^ Oh my bad. But they still hired hitmen

Post: #39

Why isn't he allowed to serve his sentences concurrently?
Isn't giving him 160 years cruel and unusual?

Post: #40

(05-30-2015 08:19 AM)VolandoVengoVolandoVoy Wrote:  Title is incorrect. I can find no news source that says he was sentenced to life without parole, just life. He might never get out, but he will be eligible for parole in 20 or 25 years.

Nope.
Without.
Read the article.

http://www.wired.com/2015/05/silk-road-c...fe-prison/

Post: #41

(05-30-2015 08:24 PM)The_CEO Wrote:  

(05-30-2015 08:19 AM)VolandoVengoVolandoVoy Wrote:  Title is incorrect. I can find no news source that says he was sentenced to life without parole, just life. He might never get out, but he will be eligible for parole in 20 or 25 years.

Nope.
Without.
Read the article.

http://www.wired.com/2015/05/silk-road-c...fe-prison/

Other news sources do not state without parole.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/30/nyregi...rison.html

http://money.cnn.com/2015/05/29/technolo...-sentence/

http://www.wsj.com/articles/silk-road-fo...1432929957

I have been trying to find some sort of official court sentencing document, no luck yet.

You could well be correct, I just don't know.

At any rate, it's hard to have much sympathy for this guy. If he had not solicited the murders, and if he had displayed some idealism towards drugs and legalization (maybe funneled some of his millions to the Drug Policy Alliance or NORML), then I would be firmly in his corner.

Post: #42

Couple more (specifiying "without'") besides the Wired article I posted.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/katevinton/2...silk-road/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/05/29/...entencing/