The Department of Justice announced Friday that Ross Ulbricht’s alleged right-hand man—Roger Thomas Clark, also known as "Variety Jones"—has been extradited to the United States after being in custody in Thailand for more than 2.5 years.
Federal prosecutors allege that the 54-year-old Canadian was paid "at least hundreds of thousands of dollars" to work for Ulbricht. Over two years ago, Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison for owning and operating the notorious Silk Road website, an online marketplace for drugs or other illicit materials. The operation is now defunct.
In September 2016, in an exclusive jailhouse interview with Ars, Clark told us that he would not be going to the US. "They don't have shit on me," he added.
Also on Friday, Clark’s criminal indictment was unsealed. Clark is expected to appear for his first court hearing on Friday, June 15 before US Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein.
"Silk Road was a secret online marketplace for illegal drugs, hacking services, and a whole host of other criminal activity," Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said in a statement. "Roger Thomas Clark allegedly served as a trusted confidant to Silk Road founder and operator Ross Ulbricht, advising him on all aspects of this illegal business, including how to maximize profits and use threats of violence to thwart law enforcement," Berman continued. "Thanks to the investigative work of our fellow law enforcement agencies and our international partners, Clark now faces justice in an American court."
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
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