The Silk Road investigation has led to another, and final, major arrest, that of 30-year-old Irish citizen Gary Davis, also known as Libertas. He was part of the small staff running the marketplace.
After his arrest in 2014, Davis was just now extradited from Ireland to New York, after he lost the 2017 appeal against the country’s decision, announced the Manhattan US Attorney. Back then, Davis’ lawyers claimed the living conditions in a US prison would deteriorate the man’s health, who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, anxiety and depression, and is dependent on his family. The claim was rejected.
He will face trial for allegedly administrating the drug-dealing dark web marketplace in exchange for a weekly fee of $1,500. The man not only served as tech support, but he was also paid to monitor forum discussions and settle conflicts between dealers and their customers, the prosecutors said.
“Gary Davis allegedly served as an administrator who helped run the Silk Road, a secret online marketplace for illegal drugs, hacking services, and an assortment of other criminal activities. Thanks to our partner agencies here and abroad, Davis now faces justice in an American court,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman.
The founder of the Silk Road, Ross Ulbrecht was arrested in 2013 and convicted of eight charges in February 2015. He is serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole.
The Silk Road operated from 2011 until its shutdown by the FBI in 2013, in spite of a few attempts by old administrators to reinstate the site under the name Silk Road 2.0. While it was active, the online black market was used to sell over $200 million worth of drugs and illicit services.
