Kid deadly car crash linked to Silk Road?

Source: http://www.mywebtimes.com/news/local/templeton-sees-justice-in-silk-roads-creator-s-conviction/article_ead3446f-6f7d-52e5-a39a-c2e1f33d1f57.html

Last year, Zachary Behrens, 17, died as a result of drowning in a U.S. Silica sandpit on the West Side of Ottawa after a car he was operating crashed June 16 headlong into the deep quarry.

Local authorities expressed shock when toxicology results confirmed Behrens was under the influence of LSD and marijuana at the time of the crash, according to La Salle County Coroner Jody Bernard.

At the time, Templeton called the forensic findings startling.

"We haven't and don't see LSD around here very much -- in fact, our county drug task force and I haven't dealt with that drug in a long time," said Templeton weeks after Behrens' death. He could not remember the last time his department made an arrest for possession of the hallucinogenic substance.

"Back in the 1970s, we saw (LSD) quite a bit, but these days, no," Templeton said.

Even more surprising to Templeton and Bernard was how Behrens obtained the LSD before his death by impaired driving.

Subsequent investigations by the La Salle County Sheriff's and Coroner's Offices found the 2014 La Salle-Peru High School honor student had ordered the substance online from "the dark side of the Internet," Templeton said.

The sheriff revealed the teen ordered the substance off a website known as Silk Road and had the LSD shipped by mail straight to his home.

It was the first time local authorities even heard of the site.

Last Friday, in Federal District Court in Manhattan, Ross W. Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road -- an international notorious online marketplace for the sale of heroin, cocaine, LSD and other illegal drugs -- was sentenced to life in prison, according to national media sources.

Ulbricht, 31, was sentenced by the judge, Katherine B. Forrest, for his role as what prosecutors described as "the kingpin of a worldwide digital drug-trafficking enterprise."

Ulbricht had faced a minimum of 20 years in prison on one of the counts for which he was convicted. But in handing down a much longer sentence, Judge Forrest told Ulbricht that "what you did in connection with Silk Road was terribly destructive to our social fabric."

Ulbricht's high-tech drug bazaar operated in a hidden part of the Internet sometimes known as the dark web, which allowed deals to be made anonymously and out of the reach of law enforcement. In Silk Road's nearly three years of operation, more than 1.5 million transactions were carried out, involving several thousand seller accounts and more than 100,000 buyer accounts, the authorities have said.

In October 2013, federal authorities shut down the Silk Road marketplace in what many praised at the time as a great success in the war on drugs.

Only weeks later, Silk Road 2.0 took its place.

"Make no mistake, Ulbricht was a drug dealer and criminal profiteer who exploited people's addictions and contributed to the deaths of at least six young people," Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement.

Templeton said Monday he believes the stiff sentence against Ulbricht was justified.

"I feel a life sentence is appropriate for all the harm this man has done," the sheriff said. "The sentence was all about the people's lives he destroyed, including Zachary Behrens'. This man (Ulbricht) is beneath contempt."

Templeton said he spoke with Behrens' mother. Jodi (Stefan) Margurite, of La Salle, Monday after he learned of the verdict and sentence.

"I called her to make sure that she knew there was some justice done (in her son's death)," he said.

Last summer, Behrens' family issued this prepared statement to the public:

"Zachary was a wonderful, intelligent, loving young man. Zach was funny and always willing to help other people. He was an honor roll student, enrolled in the Air Force, never got into trouble and had a bright, promising future ahead of him. We couldn't have asked for a better son or brother. Our family is completely devastated by this tragedy ... "

The card crash happened in June 2014 as originally reported here, and it would make much more sense if the LSD had been ordered through Silk Road 2 rather than Silk Road. Other than the obvious general nonsense the article is vague and confusing on that particular point.


Comments


[36 Points] LSDkiller:

So let's get this straight, someone takes LSD and has an accident its the fault of the person who created the site they bought it on? thats like blaming the contractors who built the bar where someone got drunk and had an accident later on. The only person responsible is the idiot who decided to go driving on LSD.


[10 Points] sharpshooter789:

How is this Silkroads fault? The site never made him get behind the wheel while he was under the influence.

I don't see alcohol companies getting in trouble for people killed in car accidents related to alcohol intoxication.


[6 Points] lamoustache:

The government and the judge argued at sentencing that Ross by creating Silk Road was responsible for several deaths.

Let's get further in the nonsense...

By applying the same logic of accountability and responsibility wouldn't the US government via DHS/FBI/SS be also accountable and responsible for the death that occurred after July 23, 2013, when the Silk Road server was forensically imaged by Law Enforcement, giving them the opportunity at the time to pull the plug and potentially put a seizure banner, which would have likely have a huge impact and close the site?

Do the parents of Bryan B., 20-year old, found dead October 7, 2013, Alejandro N. A., 37-year old, found dead September 9, 2013, Jordan M., found dead August 31, 2013 know their death could, maybe, have been avoided if Silk Road had been shut down in timely manner by LE, any time after July 23, 2013?

Do the parents of Jacob L. G. 22-year old, found dead October 14, 2015 (listed as Ulbricht victim, probably by mistake) and Zachary B, found dead, June 17 2014, know that Silk Road 2 was co-run by a DHS agent and the site could have been shut down May 30, 2014 when the server was forensically imaged by Law Enforcement?

At least they would understand the arrest of the Silk Road administrator was a higher priority than closing the site and by extension higher priority than the life of their children. Any time after July 22, 2013 for Silk Road and May 30, 2013 for Silk Road 2, the government could have actually close the sites and consequently, according to their logic, avoid people to die from drugs.

Does the government by choosing NOT to close the sites when they had the opportunity, with full understanding and knowledge of the potential fatal consequences is also responsible and accountable for those deaths?


[6 Points] None:

I find it amusing that all the supposed 'victims' of Ulbricht are dead, like the moron this article is about. naturally, there are no living victims...because any living 'victim' of DNM would surely argue that they are in fact not a victim.

just imagine this for any other crime, for example, rape:

"This man raped you. He deserves to rot!"

"No, he really didn't. it was totally consensual"

"NO, I am telling you, YOU ARE A VICTIM of this evil, evil man"

"I'm really not..."

"How long should we sentence him for? As the victim of his crime, you deserve some say in the matter"

"Just let him go, he did nothing wrong. I'm completely fine"

"BLASPHEMY! YOU ARE A VICTIM!"

"I'm missing work for this, can I leave?"

Judge Katherine 'Pubic' Forrest nods to bailiff, bailiff draws gun and removes half of 'victim's' cranium

Judge glares at defendent

"On behalf of the countless victims of your crimes who can no longer speak for themselves, I sentence you to life in prison"


[3 Points] LedLevee:

I'm sorry, your son can't be that bright if he drove on acid. Really no one's fault but his own.

Poor kid though, feel bad for him. Can't imagine the horror you must be going through if you wreck and die while on acid. Glad no one else was hurt cause of his stupid decision though.


[2 Points] IsThatPurple:

Yeah ok... In the same way i can connect millions of car crashes to Apple's iPhone! For 33% of all car crashes, a mobile phone is responsible. To connect this issue with SR is just absurd.


[2 Points] PurpleBeamz:

It's funny how everyone likes to point fingers! He's the once who decided on ordering & taking the drug, this is no ones felt but himself. May he rest in peace.


[2 Points] SgtFaecesProcessor:

Apart from the huge amounts of bullshit I find this a very interesting case. Firstly, people are rarely caught tripping on LSD. Secondly, if it wasn't already obvious, driving under the influence of LSD is a bad fucking idea. Don't trip and drive.

Not sure he was that intelligent though. Tripping while driving? Not quite sure how it's not a given that driving while tripping isn't a good idea.


[1 Points] damnmachine:

Articles like this make me sick. The death is tragic for sure but it's everything else in the article that pissed me off. "In October 2013, federal authorities shut down the Silk Road marketplace in what many praised at the time as a great success in the war on drugs."; Really? Was it a great success? The reason one pops up right after the other is because people continue to want the personal freedom to consume what they wish, despite an oppressive governments efforts to control that. This article is also just another example of a wayward teen that was inevitably going to do something stupid but because a DNM could be linked to him, it's at fault. Ross getting a life sentence does not bring this kid or his family "justice"; it's an injustice in it's own right.


[1 Points] SESH95:

"Zachary was and intelligent, loving young man, he was an honor roll student, and in the air force, and never got in trouble." Dudes on silk road ordering up drugs and shit, crashed his car while under the influence drugs. Sounds like hes been around da block a few times and into some trouble before, just my opinion. So what if he's air force and honor roll? Doesn't makes his death anymore important.