Right. He goes to jail. He goes directly to jail. He does not pass go, he does not collect 200 bitcoins.
And good fucking riddance.
I do sort of feel bad for the guy. Federal prisons in the US are harsher than some third-world prisons, and the treatment of prisoners is sometimes unconstitutionally harsh. But that's a different issue.
EVERYBODY is better off with him in jail. Consider that Silk Road was not just drugs. It was also arms deals that contributed to gang warfare, religious jihad, and criminal murder. It was also extortion payments, slave sales to and by pimps including sales of underage girls for use as prostitutes, and transfers of money to jihadists and other damned murderers.
This was all going on through his website, as well as him putting out a murder-for-hire contract? He is exactly the sort of person that the nation has the right and duty to separate from society for the sake of the welfare of all its citizens.
As far as Bitcoin is concerned, these are growing pains. Give the Lions a bit of time to adjust to the new technology, and you're going to see crooks getting busted absolutely regardless of whether they're using bitcoin. And that's the way it needs to be.
But without him Bitcoin would never have gotten off the ground. No Slashdot article. No Galker article. No influx of idealistic young people coming to this forum fascinated by the idea of this anonymous money that lets you buy drugs online. He made Bitcoin what it is today.
was a doting father and husband, successful businessman, community leader, active Democrat in politics, a philanthropic community volunteer and even had an approved Secret Service clearance for political events...