Deep Web

00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:16,880 In early 2012, HSI partnered with Tarbell's FBI investigators as well as the DEA 477 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:20,180 to mount an undercover operation called "Marco Polo" 478 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:24,100 with the intention of penetrating the inner sanctum of the Silk Road. 479 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:28,600 [I had a package seized from China in January 2012 and thought nothing of it.] 480 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:31,900 [I kept business as usual, which was a stupid move.] 481 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,260 [Fast forward to June 28th, 2012] 482 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:39,040 [I was raided by ATF, DEA, Secret Service, local police department] 483 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:41,039 [and even a postal inspector.] 484 00:29:41,159 --> 00:29:42,299 [I was not detained.] 485 00:29:42,399 --> 00:29:47,239 [Rather, I was held in a van outside for what they call "investigative detention."] 486 00:29:47,359 --> 00:29:49,879 [They kept me out of jail. I was never booked or charged] 487 00:29:49,999 --> 00:29:53,839 [because my seized computers were more useful to them if I was not behind bars.] 488 00:29:53,959 --> 00:29:56,399 [I'm also assuming they did this with a number of Silk Road vendors] 489 00:29:56,519 --> 00:29:59,339 [to get a sort of organized crime ring of their own.] 490 00:29:59,439 --> 00:30:01,179 The operation gained traction 491 00:30:01,279 --> 00:30:04,139 when an undercover agent using the vendor name of "nob" 492 00:30:04,239 --> 00:30:08,819 was allegedly able to establish direct communication with the Dread Pirate Roberts, 493 00:30:08,919 --> 00:30:11,299 which would lead to a shocking turn of events. 494 00:30:11,399 --> 00:30:16,439 Nob complained to DPR about the small-fry nature of most deals on the Silk Road. 495 00:30:16,559 --> 00:30:20,319 "It really isn't worth it to do below 10 kilos," the agent wrote. 496 00:30:20,439 --> 00:30:22,979 DPR offered to help find a buyer for nob 497 00:30:23,079 --> 00:30:27,259 and allegedly turned to one of his most trusted partners known only as "chronicpain" 498 00:30:27,359 --> 00:30:28,899 to put the deal together. 499 00:30:28,999 --> 00:30:31,319 Chronicpain had been one of the core administrators 500 00:30:31,439 --> 00:30:32,919 of the Silk Road from the beginning, 501 00:30:33,039 --> 00:30:36,339 a frequent contributor to the forums who shared the Silk Road vision 502 00:30:36,439 --> 00:30:40,679 for reducing harm in the drug trade, but these halcyon days were about to end. 503 00:30:41,159 --> 00:30:43,299 In order to facilitate this drug deal, 504 00:30:43,399 --> 00:30:46,739 chronicpain gave the informant his home address. 505 00:30:46,839 --> 00:30:51,059 Federal agents immediately apprehended chronicpain at his Salt Lake City home 506 00:30:51,159 --> 00:30:54,959 and were surprised to discover that this 47-year-old family man 507 00:30:55,079 --> 00:30:58,659 named Curtis Clark Green was a dark net criminal. 508 00:30:58,759 --> 00:31:00,319 At some point they're going to catch one of those people. 509 00:31:00,439 --> 00:31:02,079 And what do you do in a typical drug case? 510 00:31:02,199 --> 00:31:04,599 You roll that person over as a cooperating witness. 511 00:31:04,719 --> 00:31:07,779 And in this case, one of them they got really lucky 512 00:31:07,879 --> 00:31:09,939 and he was an administrator on the system. 513 00:31:10,039 --> 00:31:14,259 Green had access to other Silk Road users' accounts and financial records, 514 00:31:14,359 --> 00:31:16,099 including Dread Pirate Roberts. 515 00:31:16,199 --> 00:31:20,659 "I have to assume he will sing," DPR wrote to nob, the undercover agent. 516 00:31:20,759 --> 00:31:24,439 "I'd like him beat up." Then, the next day, he allegedly wrote... 517 00:31:24,559 --> 00:31:27,799 "Can you change the order to execute rather than torture?" 518 00:31:27,919 --> 00:31:32,739 A murder was staged. And a photograph of Green's bloody body was sent to DPR, 519 00:31:32,839 --> 00:31:35,219 who paid for the hit in Bitcoin. 520 00:31:35,319 --> 00:31:37,919 There would be five more alleged Murders-For-Hire, 521 00:31:38,039 --> 00:31:41,299 including ordered hits against a blackmailer, a scammer 522 00:31:41,399 --> 00:31:44,319 and an apparent contract with the Hells Angels. 523 00:31:44,439 --> 00:31:47,799 The names of two of these victims were found to be fictitious. 524 00:31:47,919 --> 00:31:51,619 And authorities have no evidence of any murders being carried out. 525 00:31:51,719 --> 00:31:54,739 The alleged attempted murder of Curtis Green allowed the authorities 526 00:31:54,839 --> 00:31:57,779 to obtain an indictment against Dread Pirate Roberts, 527 00:31:57,879 --> 00:32:02,579 charging him with drug offenses, attempted witness murder and Murder-For-Hire. 528 00:32:02,679 --