5 ms·

The article is a bit confusing. He was caught sending cash through the mail for Bitcoin, but that’s not illegal, is it? It says he was a dark web drug dealer bu

The article is a bit confusing. He was caught sending cash through the mail for Bitcoin, but that’s not illegal, is it? It says he was a dark web drug dealer but doesn’t describe how he was caught doing that.

brian_herman 5y ago
From the article: The IRS posted its advertisement on LocalCryptos in June 2020, with the Mr Coins account offering to buy Bitcoin at above-market prices, via the mail. Sellers were instructed to use encrypted messaging apps Wickr or WhatsApp to contact the spoof trader. I am guessing since the IRS was involved that he was avoiding taxes through this. edit: Grammar
- vmception 5y ago
  Neither article says what he was charged with But the source article has way more details Still shit reporting, but the source is just forbes blogging masquarading as news
  - russh 5y ago
    Only if you assume it was an attempt at reporting and not a government psyop meant to discourage bitcoin use for potentially illegal activities.
    - vmception 5y ago
      I would assume the former as they used Monero predominantly, which would not discourage anyone because Monero users understand how little accountability there is and when it applies, and because of the amounts. At this amount, the only conspiracy would be that this will be used by the IRS to convince Congress that it needs a larger budget to do more of this kind of investigation, because cryptocurrencies are going private, finally.
celticninja 5y ago
Caught receiving cash, which was undeclared income.
- silexia 5y ago
  Same way they got Al Capone. Everything old is new again.
  - vmception 5y ago
    Neither article says what he was arrested for or charged with The source article shows it was mostly Monero that was transferred
- wongarsu 5y ago
  But the IRS are the ones receiving cash here? I guess having the cash to pay for the bitcoins can be seen as evidence of having undeclared income, but they couldn't have known his declared income before the slip-up with the phone number.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
nroets 5y ago
I believe sending cash through the mail is illegal. When transporting more than $10000 cash across state lines, it must be reported.
- sokoloff 5y ago
  Sending cash through the mail is not itself illegal. Sending it through the mail for illegal purposes is. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sending-cash-u-s-mail-illegal/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sending-cash-u-s-mail-ille... You are required to report cash imports of $10k or more into the country but not across state lines.
- _red 5y ago
  >Sending money thru mail is illegal... Its amazing how the average person believes normal human activity is "illegal"....goes to show the level of mental corruption we suffer under.
  - tatersolid 5y ago
    Sending cash through the mail is not normal human activity, unless you count the five dollars from grandma for your birthday. It’s pretty stupid to send anything over $20 as you will likely lose the cash to a theif.
moralestapia 5y ago
Speculation: they probably knew the (bitcoin) address was used on some dirty thing but they needed a way to tie it to someone in meatspace which can be prosecuted.

brian_herman 5y ago

From the article: The IRS posted its advertisement on LocalCryptos in June 2020, with the Mr Coins account offering to buy Bitcoin at above-market prices, via the mail. Sellers were instructed to use encrypted messaging apps Wickr or WhatsApp to contact the spoof trader. I am guessing since the IRS was involved that he was avoiding taxes through this. edit: Grammar

vmception 5y ago
Neither article says what he was charged with But the source article has way more details Still shit reporting, but the source is just forbes blogging masquarading as news
- russh 5y ago
  Only if you assume it was an attempt at reporting and not a government psyop meant to discourage bitcoin use for potentially illegal activities.
  - vmception 5y ago
    I would assume the former as they used Monero predominantly, which would not discourage anyone because Monero users understand how little accountability there is and when it applies, and because of the amounts. At this amount, the only conspiracy would be that this will be used by the IRS to convince Congress that it needs a larger budget to do more of this kind of investigation, because cryptocurrencies are going private, finally.

celticninja 5y ago

Caught receiving cash, which was undeclared income.

silexia 5y ago
Same way they got Al Capone. Everything old is new again.
- vmception 5y ago
  Neither article says what he was arrested for or charged with The source article shows it was mostly Monero that was transferred
wongarsu 5y ago
But the IRS are the ones receiving cash here? I guess having the cash to pay for the bitcoins can be seen as evidence of having undeclared income, but they couldn't have known his declared income before the slip-up with the phone number.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

nroets 5y ago

I believe sending cash through the mail is illegal. When transporting more than $10000 cash across state lines, it must be reported.

sokoloff 5y ago
Sending cash through the mail is not itself illegal. Sending it through the mail for illegal purposes is. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sending-cash-u-s-mail-illegal/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sending-cash-u-s-mail-ille... You are required to report cash imports of $10k or more into the country but not across state lines.
_red 5y ago
>Sending money thru mail is illegal... Its amazing how the average person believes normal human activity is "illegal"....goes to show the level of mental corruption we suffer under.
- tatersolid 5y ago
  Sending cash through the mail is not normal human activity, unless you count the five dollars from grandma for your birthday. It’s pretty stupid to send anything over $20 as you will likely lose the cash to a theif.

moralestapia 5y ago

Speculation: they probably knew the (bitcoin) address was used on some dirty thing but they needed a way to tie it to someone in meatspace which can be prosecuted.