# U.S. Shuts Down Silk Road 2.0 Website



## AnaSCI (Nov 7, 2014)

You guys that frequent this dark market sites need to reevaluate your dealings!
------------------------------

NEW YORK, Nov 6 (Reuters) - U.S. authorities said Thursday they have shut down the successor website to Silk Road, an underground online drug marketplace, and charged its alleged operator with conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, computer hacking, money laundering and other crimes.

Blake Benthall, 26, was arrested on Wednesday in San Francisco and was expected to make an initial court appearance in federal court there later on Thursday.

The charges against Benthall carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

A lawyer for Benthall could not immediately be identified.

Silk Road 2.0 was launched late last year, weeks after authorities had shuttered the original Silk Road website in October and arrested its alleged owner, Ross Ulbricht, who went by the online alias, Dread Pirate Roberts.

"Let's be clear - this Silk Road, in whatever form, is the road to prison," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, whose office is prosecuting both cases, said in a statement.

Benthall, known as "Defcon" online, became the operator of Silk Road 2.0 in December, one month after an unnamed co-conspirator launched the site, according to prosecutors.

Silk Road 2.0 provided an online bazaar where users across the world could buy and sell drugs, computer hacking tools and other illicit items, using the digital currency Bitcoin as payment, authorities said.

As of September, the site was generating at least $8 million a month in sales, they said.

The government's investigation included an undercover agent who was able to infiltrate the administrative staff of the website and interact directly with Benthall, prosecutors said.

Ulbricht, 30, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial in New York in January.


----------



## thebull2012 (Nov 7, 2014)

How really "free" are we anymore?  Overseas is looking to be a reality more and more


----------



## Bionic (Nov 7, 2014)

Were we ever free to buy black tar heroin or crack?


----------



## Ironbuilt (Nov 7, 2014)

You would think after one was busted that just maybe the feds were waiting for more players to open something new. .. I always thought silk 2.0 was a set up by the feds as a reverse style bust site for sellers anyhow.  Thanks Anasci. Good tip.


----------



## Bionic (Nov 7, 2014)

Agreed. I totally thought it was a honey pot.


----------



## AnaSCI (Nov 7, 2014)

Ironbuilt said:


> You would think after one was busted that just maybe the feds were waiting for more players to open something new. .. I always thought silk 2.0 was a set up by the feds as a reverse style bust site for sellers anyhow.  Thanks Anasci. Good tip.



This is what I thought as well!

Funny how they have been in operation for less then a year yet a Fed was able to get into the Staff and close to the owner?


----------



## Hypertrophy3 (Dec 20, 2014)

AnaSCI said:


> This is what I thought as well!
> 
> Funny how they have been in operation for less then a year yet a Fed was able to get into the Staff and close to the owner?



No doubt in my mind it was a setup.  Way too convenient, don't you think?  It was entrapment,  plain and simple, and totally against the constitution.


----------



## Alinshop (Dec 20, 2014)

Ironbuilt said:


> You would think after one was busted that just maybe the feds were waiting for more players to open something new. .. I always thought silk 2.0 was a set up by the feds as a reverse style bust site for sellers anyhow.  Thanks Anasci. Good tip.



I like your theory. It sounds like one big mess.


----------



## djpase (Feb 1, 2015)

never even been on there , def a good thing that i was unaware of it. lol


----------



## Kobe8jf1234 (Mar 5, 2015)

Damn dude doing life that crazy


----------



## Sully (Mar 5, 2015)

Kobe8jf1234 said:


> Damn dude doing life that crazy



Yup, life for facilitating drug trafficking. But kill someone in this country and u get a few years of probation, and maybe a few months of house arrest.


----------

