Hello everybody. This post is about the Swiss DEA, but I guess it can apply to a lot of agencies around the world. This is a story that happened to me over a bit more than a year.
Month 0
I had a few BTC left, so I logged into AlphaBay to see what I could buy with it. There was a fairly new vendor selling XTC pills by the unit, it was around $4 for one pill. I thought why the hell not, let's give this new vendor a chance. The pill never arrived, but I didn't feel like disputing for $4 so I finalized.
Month 2
2 months after the order, I received a letter from the Swiss DEA at home. I was summoned at the police station at a certain day and hour, and if I didn't come the police could come and get me. I knew it was for the pill, since it was the only package that didn't land, so I thought I didn't risk much.
Month 4
The day of my summoning was finally here. I went to the DEA station, and had a brief meeting with a young police agent. Around my age, fairly hot, and super nice. It felt more like a date than anything else, which is why I got fucked. The agent asked me basic informations about myself, age, address, occupation, etc., if I drank alcohol (when I said "like a student", the agent laughed and told me he knew what it meant, he had been a student too! Omg we're so alike bro!), and if I did drugs. I said I didn't do drugs, except smoke weed from time to time, and that I had tried "a pill, a couple years ago, but didn't like it". I thought a small lie was better than a huge one, but it was a mistake from my part. Anyway, after those questions the agent showed me a letter with my name and address on it, and told me it had been intercepted at the customs, with an XTC pill inside. I of course had no idea why there was an XTC pill sent to my address. The agent insisted a bit, but I kept denying everything so I ended up signing the summary of the interview and going home.
Month 6/7
Even though the DEA agent had told me that he believed me and didn't think I would get anything, I received a $1500 fine. For importation and consumption of drugs. I did an opposition (I don't know how it's called in english, but it's basically sending a letter saying you don't agree with the judgement/fine), and sent it a couple days later.
Month 9
The opposition was denied, I still had to pay the $1500. My lawyer friends told me I had two options :
- Pay the $1500
- Don't pay the $1500, and if I did that I would have to go in front of a judge and defend my case. This was advised only if I was sure they couldn't have any proof.
Having faith in TOR and my encryption skillzz, I didn't pay the fine.
Month 15/16
I went in front of a judge. He asked me the same questions the DEA agent did, and I answered the same things. I had no idea why a letter with a pill inside was addressed to me, etc. He told me that since the letter was the only proof, I was acquitted from the importation.
BUT since I had told the DEA agent that I smoked weed from time to time, and when the judge asked me again I confirmed it, I still was guilty of weed consumption. My fine was reduced to $200, which is a win in my opinion, but it could have been $0 if I hadn't been so retarded.
SUMMARY
Don't talk to the police. Even if they seem like they want to help you, they don't. After my interview with the DEA agent, my lawyer told me the best thing to do would have been to show up, and keep saying "I don't want to answer this question". If they had any proofs, they would have used them.
Trust the technology. Encrypt everything manually, and try to buy your BTC anonymously.
If LE's only proof is the letter, they can't do anything to you. So order to a clean house.
very good point about not admitting anything.