# The Silk Road **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 31, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996 "2013-07-31T15:36:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/41 "2013-10-04T19:22:24Z")
> [@Virgil\_Tibbs](#): > > Wow! \*Actual \*heroin, cocaine or MDMA? Delivered to your front door? My god, soon they’ll have hookers that can drive! I was promised flying hookers. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/42 "2013-10-04T19:37:14Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I was promised flying hookers. I believe [this company](http://tacocopter.com/) is planning on that as soon as they get the kinks worked out with taco delivery. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/43 "2013-10-04T21:15:45Z")
> [@Virgil\_Tibbs](#): > > My god, soon they’ll have hookers that can drive! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/44 "2013-10-07T05:10:52Z")
> [@AnthonyElite](#): > > 1. How do we know the seller will send? Do we rely on positive feedback? How do you make sure they don’t take the money and run? In addition to feedback, there’s the escrow system. The dealer wouldn’t get his money until the deal was finalized. If you never got what you ordered, you’d probably get at least some of your money back. When you consider the cost of buying a vendor account, it made it hard for new vendors to scam people. Most successful scams were by vendors with a lot of reputation. > [@](#): > > 1. Does sending that kind of material through the mail work? Won’t the post office intercept it when they realize the content? In other words…don’t they screen the packages? They don’t check the majority of packages, especially domestic ones. If they do figure it out, then if it’s a personal amount, they’ll probably just dispose of it. If it’s more than a personal amount, they’re likely to have an undercover police officer try to deliver it and bust you for possession. They really don’t have much evidence until you receive it. > [@](#): > > 1. The buyer is providing an address…aren’t they afraid to be reported? As in the vendor might be an undercover cop? That’s a possibility, but the cops are more worried about busting sellers than buyers, plus the whole reputation thing. Also, unless I’m not mistaken, they can’t really prosecute you until they catch you in possession, and since they’re not going to actually send you the drugs through the mail, the necessary resources to catch a few buyers probably isn’t worth it. > [@Jophiel](#): > > I thought, once upon a time, I read about them also dealing in various other illegal items (child porn, etc). But I haven’t seen that angle in any of the articles so I’m not sure if Silk Road actually handled that sort of thing or if that was some other “secret internet”. They’ve never dealt child pornography and look down on that as much as anyone else. There was a sister site that had weapons for sale, but that was closed and anything that was likely to be used to harm someone was prohibited. > [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Except we’re not just talking about pot here. You could literally order black tar heroin, or cocaine, or MDMA, or really anything from a Silk Road vendor and have it delivered to your front door via US mail. So you think possession of a personal amount of heroin or cocaine is deserving of a felony and possible prison time? ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/45 "2013-10-07T05:59:11Z")
Double post ---
**Author:** ![AnthonyElite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@AnthonyElite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnthonyElite)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/46 "2013-10-09T03:26:10Z")
Great analysis, snailboy. I thought about number 3 more also, and have perfect loophole for that: “I never bought the drugs and gave the address, someone is out to frame me, perhaps.” And yes, I am against the war on drugs. I think a person has the right to any substance they want so long as it isn’t hurting anyone else. Where you draw that line is a tough question, but the fact that MARJIUANA (which is harmless) is illegal is dangerous. Imagine your whole life people say “drugs are bad, M’kay?” And they have you completely convinced. Then one day someone finally convinces you to take a hit of marijuana. You take it and realize it is completely fucking harmless, and start wondering if maybe that is true of other drugs. Next thing you know they find you dead on the toiler, heroine overdose. Yeah, Marijuana COULD be a gateway drug - because when you find out you’ve been lied to you begin to question the system. I take a drug every day at work. It enhances my performance, and often makes it poorer. I am a real asshole without it, too. In fact, I’m pretty useless at work until… Until I have my caffeine. ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/47 "2013-10-09T04:27:04Z")
> [@AnthonyElite](#): > > I thought about number 3 more also, and have perfect loophole for that: > > “I never bought the drugs and gave the address, someone is out to frame me, perhaps.” If they find the drug and decide it’s worth their time to try to bust you with it (usually only for a large amount), they’ll make you sign for it indicating that it is yours. Of course there are still ways of virtually elimating risk, but I think I’ve said enough. ---
**Author:** ![AnthonyElite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@AnthonyElite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnthonyElite)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/48 "2013-10-09T11:43:51Z")
(Mandatory Simpsons clip ala snailboy’s sudden paranoia) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X11rGNbQ-A) I don’t, honestly, think enough can be said. This is going to happen again, soon. We have two choices: A. Ignore it and it goes unchecked B. Take some sort of partial ownership of it as a nation. It seems like we are going with B so far, by shutting it down, but more will spring up. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/49 "2023-07-12T00:38:52Z")
> **[Silk Road’s Second-in-Command, Variety Jones, Gets 20 Years in Prison](https://www.wired.com/story/silk-road-variety-jones-sentencing/)** > > Roger Thomas Clark, also known as Variety Jones, will spend much of the rest of his life in prison for his key role in building the world’s first dark-web drug market. Note the first-in-command, Ross Ulbricht, is serving life: > **[Ross Ulbricht](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Ulbricht)** > > Ross William Ulbricht (born March 27, 1984) is an American serving life imprisonment for creating and operating the darknet market website Silk Road from 2011 until his arrest in 2013. The site operated as a hidden service on the Tor network and facilitated the sale of narcotics and other illegal products and services. Ulbricht ran the site under the pseudonym "Dread Pirate Roberts", after the fictional character from The Princess Bride. > In 2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arres... ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/50 "2023-07-14T15:56:43Z")
Username checks out. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/51 "2023-07-19T13:02:14Z")
According to the book _[Tracers in the Dark](https://www.amazon.com/Tracers-Dark-Global-Crime-Cryptocurrency-ebook/dp/B09SKW8WRV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UWT1TTROENGY&keywords=tracers+in+the+dark&qid=1689771678&sprefix=Tracers+%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-1)_ - which is about the law enforcement groups that investigate cyber crimes - it was a message board post that lead them to Ulbricht. Ulbricht had made posts promoting his site on some druggie message boards under the name Altoid. He also posted to a software coding forum under the name Altoid. In one of those posts he had requested some information via e-mail and he gave his real e-mail address which was a variant of his real name. After he got the information he needed, he went back and deleted the post with his e-mail address, but he failed to realize that someone that responded to the post had quoted his original post, e-mail address included. This mistake provided the clue that eventually lead to his arrest. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/52 "2023-07-19T16:35:03Z")
Sounds like “Alt” had no control over his delete. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/53 "2025-01-10T20:34:09Z")
> [@GrandWino](#): > > If you had Bitcoins in Silk Road wallets, they’re gone. > **[DOJ Cleared To Sell $6.5 Billion In Bitcoin Seized From Silk Road - Slashdot](https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/01/10/0441259/doj-cleared-to-sell-65-billion-in-bitcoin-seized-from-silk-road)** > > An anonymous reader quotes a report from Crypto Briefing: The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has been authorized to sell approximately 69,370 Bitcoin seized in connection with the Silk Road darknet marketplace, a haul currently valued at around $6.5... ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/54 "2025-01-22T01:09:53Z")
Unless Trump makes the DoJ give them back. > **['Ridiculous!' Trump frees creator of darknet market Silk Road to thank...](https://www.rawstory.com/silk-road/)** > > President Donald Trump said Tuesday evening he has issued a full pardon to a man serving a life sentence for creating and running what prosecutors have called the "sprawling black-market bazaar" Silk Road.Ross William Ulbricht, known online by the... ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/55 "2025-01-22T19:22:22Z")
Trump pledged to free Ulbricht, a convicted drug dealer and wannabe murderer. From the link above: > “The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!” I think the revealing part is “same lunatics as […] against _ **me** _”. And his voters were OK with that or did not care and still do not know. It has always been like that with tanTrump. Many former pardonees of tanTrump have become recidivists and found thenselves back in jail. There is still hope, I can’t see Ulbricht becoming honest. It is still unbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/56 "2025-01-22T19:53:56Z")
Why would trump pardon him? Is it only about a “donation”? Quid pro quo? Is it simply corruption all the way down? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/57 "2025-01-22T20:06:08Z")
To own the libs? It’s the most sensical explanation I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/58 "2025-01-22T20:26:42Z")
“We need to tariff Canada and Mexico because they let drugs come in. Also, I’m releasing this guy who made a giant illegal drug marketplace.” Don’t look for logic. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/59 "2025-01-22T20:36:34Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Don’t look for logic. That’s all fine, but all the MAGA are not insane in the same way. SOMEONE must notice the contradiction. Pardoning him must make some sense, somehow, to someone, even if it is insane sense. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996/60 "2025-01-22T21:36:56Z")
He’s Jr’s plug. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silk-road/664996.md?page=4)