06-20-2015, 01:41 AM
I haven't seen the documentary Cutz, but I'm interested in checking it out. The story has fascinated me since it first broke, for several reasons.
-The Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies.
![[Image: glenparkplusmug.jpg]](http://media.nbcbayarea.com/images/653*367/glenparkplusmug.jpg)
-I'm very familiar with the Glen Park Library where Ulbricht ^ was arrested. It would be an ideal location to conduct internet transactions without anyone ever looking over your shoulder. Comfortable and laid back and never filled to the brim like the main SF public library at the Civic Center.
![[Image: momitobys-03.jpg]](http://www.hayesvalleyshop.com/images/stores/momitobys/momitobys-03.jpg)
-I figure, but am not sure, that the Laguna Street cafe where Ulbricht mostly managed the Silk Road on-line marketplace was Momi Toby's (pictured above). It's close to the Hickory Street apartment where Ulbricht was living with some other dudes in a small apartment and it has Wi-Fi (and excellent pulled pork).
-Ulbricht was inspired to develop a marketplace free from government intervention or awareness by his affiliation with Libertarian policy. I get that.
Based only on my readings in the local news, Ulbricht's where he belongs. He wasn't just selling weed to anonymous buyers using Bitcoins as currency, but also LSD, heroin, and other deadly products/services. To me, it makes no difference that he did so and made a fortune (while living unassumingly like a lot of smart struggling San Francisco 20-somethings) on-line as opposed to trafficking via traditional off-line methods.
I don't personally think he was responsible for the overdose deaths associated with drugs purchased off the Silk Road site, but the testimony of the victims' loved ones hurt him a lot in sentencing, in my opinion.
Just like with an off-line criminal enterprise, LE can and does use undercover buyers and ops to sting crime bosses. There were dozens of them all over Silk Road buying illegal products/services left and right leading up to his bust. Just because he's young, smart, likable, attractive and coulda been very successful in a legit biz (IMO), doesn't make him any better or immune to consequences than a fat, greasy, old cartel boss.
My understanding is that he emailed one of the undercovers about a transaction and that's how they were finally able to get around the security wall and tumblers in the Silk Road architecture and trace/identify him using his Google email account (with Google's cooperation).
In terms of the alleged hits he procured to get rid of people who threatened to reveal his identity, I tend to believe it's true and that the charges were dropped because there were no identified dead victims. The Feds didn't need convictions on those hard-to-prove charges to make him a lifer anyway, given all of his other proven crimes for which prosecutors sought consecutive sentences.
I think Ulbright mighta been detached from the reality of what he was doing because it was anonymous, presumably untraceable, and he wasn't looking anybody in the eyes. However, I don't think it's impossible that the murder for hire allegations were false or trumped up to bolster the Feds' case, or to distract from some illegal LEOs' activity that went down during the investigation. Could be.
It's a really interesting case, but there are some technical aspects to it that are over my head.
I'm sure his attorneys are working hard towards an appeal.
-The Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies.
-I'm very familiar with the Glen Park Library where Ulbricht ^ was arrested. It would be an ideal location to conduct internet transactions without anyone ever looking over your shoulder. Comfortable and laid back and never filled to the brim like the main SF public library at the Civic Center.
-I figure, but am not sure, that the Laguna Street cafe where Ulbricht mostly managed the Silk Road on-line marketplace was Momi Toby's (pictured above). It's close to the Hickory Street apartment where Ulbricht was living with some other dudes in a small apartment and it has Wi-Fi (and excellent pulled pork).
-Ulbricht was inspired to develop a marketplace free from government intervention or awareness by his affiliation with Libertarian policy. I get that.
Based only on my readings in the local news, Ulbricht's where he belongs. He wasn't just selling weed to anonymous buyers using Bitcoins as currency, but also LSD, heroin, and other deadly products/services. To me, it makes no difference that he did so and made a fortune (while living unassumingly like a lot of smart struggling San Francisco 20-somethings) on-line as opposed to trafficking via traditional off-line methods.
I don't personally think he was responsible for the overdose deaths associated with drugs purchased off the Silk Road site, but the testimony of the victims' loved ones hurt him a lot in sentencing, in my opinion.
Just like with an off-line criminal enterprise, LE can and does use undercover buyers and ops to sting crime bosses. There were dozens of them all over Silk Road buying illegal products/services left and right leading up to his bust. Just because he's young, smart, likable, attractive and coulda been very successful in a legit biz (IMO), doesn't make him any better or immune to consequences than a fat, greasy, old cartel boss.
My understanding is that he emailed one of the undercovers about a transaction and that's how they were finally able to get around the security wall and tumblers in the Silk Road architecture and trace/identify him using his Google email account (with Google's cooperation).
In terms of the alleged hits he procured to get rid of people who threatened to reveal his identity, I tend to believe it's true and that the charges were dropped because there were no identified dead victims. The Feds didn't need convictions on those hard-to-prove charges to make him a lifer anyway, given all of his other proven crimes for which prosecutors sought consecutive sentences.
I think Ulbright mighta been detached from the reality of what he was doing because it was anonymous, presumably untraceable, and he wasn't looking anybody in the eyes. However, I don't think it's impossible that the murder for hire allegations were false or trumped up to bolster the Feds' case, or to distract from some illegal LEOs' activity that went down during the investigation. Could be.
It's a really interesting case, but there are some technical aspects to it that are over my head.
I'm sure his attorneys are working hard towards an appeal.