Feds: Top aide for Silk Road drug site arrested in Thailand

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors in New York say a top aide to the Silk Road drug website's founder has been arrested in Thailand.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara (buh-RAH'-ruh) says 54-year-old Canadian citizen Robert Thomas Clark awaits extradition to the U.S.

IRS Special Agent Gary Alford writes in a complaint unsealed Friday that Clark helped sell heroin, cocaine and other drugs online between January 2011 and October 2013.

Ross Ulbricht was sentenced in May to life in prison for his role creating what authorities have described as an online shopping mall for drugs and other illegal items. They say Clark gave the San Francisco man the nickname "Dread Pirate Roberts," a reference to the swashbuckling character in the 1984 film "The Princess Bride."

No attorney was listed in court records for Clark to comment on his behalf.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-12-05

Feds: Silk Road accomplice nabbed in Thailand

NEW YORK - Federal prosecutors Friday announced the arrest of a Canadian citizen on charges he was a key accomplice to convicted Silk Road darknet mastermind Ross Ulbricht.

Roger Thomas Clark, 54, was arrested in Thailand Thursday, and is now pending extradition to face U.S. charges of narcotics trafficking conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said.

Silk Road was an encrypted online marketplace that from 2011-2013 brought anonymous buyers and sellers together online for millions of dollars worth of transactions in illegal drugs, computer hacking programs, fake identities and other illicit services. The deals were transacted in bitcoins, an electronic form of currency that made tracking the true identities of the buyers and sellers difficult.

A Manhattan federal jury convicted Ulbricht on drug conspiracy and other charges in February after prosecutors produced evidence that he was the secretive entrepreneur who founded Silk Road in Texas and then operated it the sprawling darknet operation under the nom de Net "Dread Pirate Roberts."

Likening Clark to a Mafia ring consigliere or counselor, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said the accused accomplice advised Ulbricht "on all aspects of this illegal business, including how to maximize profits and use threats of violence to thwart law enforcement."

Full story: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/12/04/feds-silk-road-accomplice-nabbed-thailand/76804984/

Break the laws of your own country, and others, run to Thailand to hide out.

I guess he didn't pay taxes on his drug profits if the IRS was after him.

.....I'd better not start on the IRS. I might never be able to stop ranting.

I watched vdo about this website and Clarke. It seems this man made a open market website kind of like eBay without any controls on the products sold. The FBI found a snitch and Clarke proceeded to put a contract out for his death using the website. Although, no substantial proof was shown because his user name was shown to be used by many moderators. His website used bit coin for their transactions making it very hard to trace. The FBI seized many shipments via mail and made many arrests but only a few were from the sender's. This guy Clarke had the theory that the govs should not have total control over anything. Unfortunately I can not recall the name of the vdo. It was an interesting piece.

It surprises me to see this article was not a press release from Thai immigration along with pictures of officers gloating over him. Although it was unethical to allow I think this articles reflection of his being referred to as mafioso is ludicrous.

Edited December 5, 201510 yr by thesetat2013

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Edited December 5, 201510 yr by Bluespunk

I watched vdo about this website and Clarke. It seems this man made a open market website kind of like eBay without any controls on the products sold. The FBI found a snitch and Clarke proceeded to put a contract out for his death using the website. Although, no substantial proof was shown because his user name was shown to be used by many moderators. His website used bit coin for their transactions making it very hard to trace. The FBI seized many shipments via mail and made many arrests but only a few were from the sender's. This guy Clarke had the theory that the govs should not have total control over anything. Unfortunately I can not recall the name of the vdo. It was an interesting piece.

It surprises me to see this article was not a press release from Thai immigration along with pictures of officers gloating over him. Although it was unethical to allow I think this articles reflection of his being referred to as mafioso is ludicrous.

Yeah it is kind of like the owner of MBK center is responsible if their tenants selling illegal things counterfeit products?!

The guy who operated this site is already serving life without the possibility of parole in the US.

It looks like they're now going after his technical / security advisors. Then again it looks like this particular guy knew exactly what was going on.

Break the laws of your own country, and others, run to Thailand to hide out.

Rich Thais break the law here and run to other countries to hide out.

The guy who operated this site is already serving life without the possibility of parole in the US.

It looks like they're now going after his technical / security advisors. Then again it looks like this particular guy knew exactly what was going on.

That's what happens when you cut into the governments profits

The new sites that have replaced silk road must be loving the media attention. Brings 1000's of new customers to the dark nets drug market places

I watched vdo about this website and Clarke. It seems this man made a open market website kind of like eBay without any controls on the products sold. The FBI found a snitch and Clarke proceeded to put a contract out for his death using the website. Although, no substantial proof was shown because his user name was shown to be used by many moderators. His website used bit coin for their transactions making it very hard to trace. The FBI seized many shipments via mail and made many arrests but only a few were from the sender's. This guy Clarke had the theory that the govs should not have total control over anything. Unfortunately I can not recall the name of the vdo. It was an interesting piece.

It surprises me to see this article was not a press release from Thai immigration along with pictures of officers gloating over him. Although it was unethical to allow I think this articles reflection of his being referred to as mafioso is ludicrous.

You got the names mixed up wrong.