US authorities shut down Silk Road website

[Bosonic]

Source: AFP

San Francisco (AFP) - US authorities said Wednesday they had shut down the Silk Road website and arrested its owner on charges he ran an online black market for illegal drugs and services.

Ross William Ulbricht, also known as "Dread Pirate Roberts," was arrested on Tuesday in San Francisco after the website was shuttered, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Prosecutors said they seized approximately $3.6 million worth of Bitcoins in the largest ever seizure of the virtual currency.

"The Silk Road website has served as a sprawling black market bazaar where illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services have been regularly bought and sold by the site's users," FBI special agent Christopher Tarbell said in a criminal complaint filed in a federal court.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/us-authorities-shut-down-silk-road-website-arrest-155328699.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CcPSExSBhYA4U3QtDMD

[Hydra]

1. Watch yourself if you use TOR

Although in this case and others it doesn't look like they are *seeing* what's going on so much as finding weaknesses outside the edges...but who can know how much they can see or not?

[AngryAmish]

6. TOR was created by the US government

Nothing is safe there

[Psephos]

7. exactly n/t

[legcramp]

2. At least some of the essential federal employees are still on the job.

eom

[KurtNYC]

5. Wouldn't it be ironic if the government had to pay them in Bitcoin.

[sir pball]

3. Were they on Freedom Hosting too?

That crew always seemed far more careful than this.

[Duer 157099]

4. Better call Saul n/t

[Comrade Grumpy]

8. Don't worry; there will be a successor. And the DEA will be seeking funds to track it down.

Forever, if we let them. There is a move afoot to get rid of DEA. I'd say it's about 40 years past time.

[Jesus Malverde]

9. Who Is Ross Ulbricht?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2013/10/02/who-is-ross-ulbricht-piecing-together-the-life-of-the-alleged-libertarian-mastermind-behind-silk-road/

[cemaphonic]

10. If only it was possible* to short the bitcoin market...

Now that the sole practical use for them is kaput. I bet the bitcoin forums are comedy gold tonight, since this just reinforces their viewpoint that the government is ascared of them, and will do anything to undermine bitcoins.



*I think it is technically possible, but not without trusting some very shady and slipshod entities with your money.

[Pterodactyl]

11. That zany US government. What'll they do next?