Blake Benthall, one of the managers of the drug-market Silk Road 2.0, which used the alias Defcon, can only be prosecuted for tax crimes in exchange for their cooperation with the authorities.
The above news marks the first real picture of Benthall's fate after his arrest and the seizure of Silk Road 2.0 the 2014. The site appeared shortly after the closure of the original Silk Road by the FBI and the arrest of its creator Ross Ulbricht.
Using the anonymous Tor network to protect the location of its servers as well as its users, Silk Road 2.0 provided drug traffickers with a relatively safe platform for selling heroin, cocaine, cannabis and other illegal drugs.
Except of the drugs the "shop" had everything from fake passports to fake diplomas and weapons. During its run, the site processed approximately $400.000 in sales per day.
Benthall was charged with drug trafficking, computer piracy and money laundering, according to court records.
The conspiracy for trading of drugs can result in at least ten years in prison.
Ο Ulbricht for example sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the creation of the first Silk Road, which included drug trafficking, the creation of a criminal organization and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of illicit activities.
Benthall is unlikely to face all of these charges, according to reports has the Motherboard. Benthall was a software developer and former SpaceX employee.
"If the defendant fully complies with the agreements set forth in this Convention, he will not be prosecuted further by the FBI for crimes other than breaches of criminal law."
The path that Benthall followed is of course in stark contrast to his other Silk Road 2.0 partners who did not cooperate with the authorities.
In 2016, the United States sentenced Brian Farrell, (nicknamed DoctorClu), the forum moderator, to eight years in prison. Last month, Benthall co-founder and original creator of Silk Road 2.0 Thomas White was sentenced to five years in prison in Liverpool, England.
