"Laundering" is just sending crypto to a guy who converted it to cash at Gemini and Coinbase (using his real name) for a 5% fee. Nothing sophisticated at all like the government claimed. Not much of a laundering operation.
MESO-Rx
Anabolic Steroids
ExpressPCT Busted
- Thread starter B Ware
- Start date
The guy who "laundered" the crypto for him only got 15 months. The other 3 guys only got probation
or maybe that the guy accused of "sophisticated money laundering scheme" listed his real name on everything had something to do with it too
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Rido
Subscriber
Seems like they got a bit too greedy.
I figured as much but my mind gets carried away. Takes a special individual to agree to use their personal account to cash out millions of dirty coin. Especially if it was for a very small percentage.
the sad truth about crime in general is that the dumb guys are often the most successful as the smart ones aren't willing to take risks.
BRENDON GAGNE - 24 months imprisonment:
FatPharms
Subscriber
classic. have you seen a bust where it was NOT a self pwn? The closest I read was the bayrob gang. The feds presented the case brief at defcon a while back. Stellar opsec. Got outed by a non-LE security researcher.
malfeasance
Member
Is that how courtlistener gets its documents? Volunteers upload them? I had no idea.
The Free Law Project has browser extensions (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox) to automatically upload PACER documents to CourtListener:
RECAP Suite — Turning PACER Around Since 2009
RECAP is an online archive and free extension for Firefox, Chrome and Safari that improves the experience of using PACER, the electronic public access system for the U.S. Federal District and Bankruptcy Courts. Once installed, every docket or PDF you purchase on PACER will be added to the [RECAP...
malfeasance
Member
Cool, thanks, Millard. I did not know anything about that.The Free Law Project has browser extensions (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox) to automatically upload PACER documents to CourtListener:
RECAP Suite — Turning PACER Around Since 2009
RECAP is an online archive and free extension for Firefox, Chrome and Safari that improves the experience of using PACER, the electronic public access system for the U.S. Federal District and Bankruptcy Courts. Once installed, every docket or PDF you purchase on PACER will be added to the [RECAP...free.law
This wasn't the main guy but the guy that handled the payments/crypto. He probably thought his role was like that of VISA/MC, Paypal in processing many of the overseas AAS transactions we see. Obviously, no bankers connected credit cards and paypal are being prosecuted because all they do was process payments. The thing is that guy started dipping his fingers in other things.
It doesn't really matter how good the main guy's opsec was. It's the scaling and ramping up and delegation. And you know there will always be a weak link in some of the role players opsec.
I highlight these kinda things not to say this was THE reason they were caught. Aside from this there were probably dozens of other things that would have led to the same outcome.
The barriers to entry for domestic guys are way too low. And seemingly everyone wants to be a drug dealer. They buy some cheap AAS from overseas and see easy money when they can mark it up 500% even 1000%.
They don't see the negative consequences. And even if they do, they dismiss it to some single stupid mistake as the only reason some guy was busted. Obviously, they think they are much smarter than all the guys that have gone before and been busted and it would never happen to them.
The truth is most domestic guys that have any type of success are caught again and again and again. Even when they stay in business for years and think they've figured out how to evade LE, they are usually deluding themselves.
The longevity of domestic source is usually only due to the fact that LE has many other pressing concerns in priorities. It's not because of the source's black market savviness. LE has often monitored sources for several years before they do anything.
For all those who feel like acting on the impulse to become a drug dealer (or the common euphemisms of "selling extras", "trading", "paying for my stash"), you need a reality check.
If you still want to illegally distribute drugs, you should assume you WILL eventually get caught and you may go to prison. It must be worth after calculating the costs of legal/attorney fees, loss of freedom, involuntary time away from family and children or simply having a felony record.
For some it is worth it, and they come out ahead. But that is the extreme minority.
This /\/\ is harm reduction for all wannabe drug dealers.
GuerillaPete
Member
Building houses is a good one.
You buy some material with clean cash some with dirty cash.
When you sell them you get clean cash.
Laundering is getting harder for sure.
wise words indeed from someone who has been studying the game for a long time.
Litecoin815
New Member
Obviously what happened is they noticed a popular vendor on a public site was accepting money in their own name. I'm guess they made a few purchases went and either arrested or spoke to the guy who was receiving payment in his name. He then snitched and turned informant on the rest of them, to maybe get less time. They didn't hack their computers or notice someone flashing money. Everyone who is in prison for selling drugs, was set up by someone getting caught with some. It's the way Le gets information, from informants who are either scared into it, paid, or offered deals on legal issues
That would definitely be one avenue LE could have taken. They could have just as easily, and probably did, have taken another initial approach.
Whenever there are large quantities of drugs being imported from overseas, this will attract attention. There were a lot of people involved, including at least 5 unindicted co-conspirators in addition to 5 that were indicted.
What I'm saying is there were multiple avenues of attack with so many weak links. I want to caution against the common perception on this and other forums that the domestic guys who get caught did so only because of one or two careless or even stupid things. Every court document I've read reveals numerous lapses. As I've said before, the barriers to AAS sourcing are so low that it attracts mostly amateurs who have no business being criminals.
Domestic sources tend to attribute their longevity to their "opsec" when in reality their longevity is due to the fact that LE hasn't made it a priority to find them and/or pursue them.
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