Trappy busted?

http://www.apnewsarchive.com/2017/An-Illinois-man-who-federal-prosecutors-say-worked-as-a-spokesman-for-a-darknet-internet-marketplace-used-for-illicit-internet-commerce-has-been-charged-in-Atlanta/id-06ef46d111994b48afc6be441dfed40d

ATLANTA (AP) -- An Illinois man who federal prosecutors say worked as a spokesman for a "darknet" marketplace for illicit internet commerce has been charged in Atlanta.

Authorities have said AlphaBay was the internet's largest darknet site -- trading in illegal drugs, firearms and counterfeit goods, among other things -- before it was taken down through an international law enforcement effort in July.

Federal prosecutors in Atlanta have charged 24-year-old Ronald L. Wheeler III of Streamwood, Illinois, with conspiracy to commit access device fraud.

Wheeler pleaded not guilty Wednesday at an initial hearing before federal Magistrate Judge Janet King. She agreed to allow him to remain free while his case is pending, but said she would require drug testing.

Wheeler's lawyer, Phillip Turner, said he had no additional comment after the hearing.

Prosecutors wrote in a court filing that Wheeler, known online as Trappy and Trappy_Pandora, began working as AlphaBay's public relations specialist in May 2015. His duties included moderating the AlphaBay forum on Reddit and posting information about AlphaBay in other Reddit forums, mediating sales disputes among the marketplace's users, providing non-technical assistance to users and promoting AlphaBay online, prosecutors wrote.

Wheeler was paid a salary in bitcoin, a digital currency, by Alexandre Cazes, the 25-year-old Canadian owner of AlphaBay who was known online as Alpha02 and Admin, the court filing says.

AlphaBay used Tor, a network of thousands of computers run by volunteers, to hide its tracks. With Tor, traffic gets relayed through multiple computers. Identifying information is stripped at each stop, so that no single computer knows the full chain.

From May 2015 through July 3 of this year, Wheeler worked with Cazes and others to use AlphaBay to traffic in personal access information and use these usernames, passwords, email addresses, telephone numbers and bank account numbers without authorization to obtain money, goods and services, the court filing says.

If convicted, Wheeler is to forfeit any proceeds from his alleged illegal activity, including $27,562 in U.S. currency and about 14 bitcoins, the court filing says.

AlphaBay went offline when Cazes was arrested July 5 in Thailand with DEA and FBI assistance. Cazes died in Thai police custody on July 12. The country's narcotics police chief told reporters at the time that Cazes hanged himself in jail just prior to a scheduled court hearing

The police agency Europol estimates AlphaBay had done $1 billion in business since its 2014 creation. Cazes had amassed a $23 million fortune as the site's creator and administrator, according to court documents.


Comments


[67 Points] throwitwaywaywayaway:

I have to find a picture of this guy. I have such a clear image of him in my head and I will be kind of shocked if he looks different than I imagine.


[64 Points] None:

hope they dont get their stubby pig fingers on his 14 coins


[19 Points] Snorkl3:

How did they identify Ronald L. Wheeler III as Trappy? That's the main question anyone should have.


[13 Points] stabBarbie:

Do they say how they got him? That's the only part I want to know


[8 Points] None:

I can't help but wonder who was controlling trappy's reddit account during the ab take down.


[7 Points] kyousaya4life:

f


[5 Points] None:

So if convicted his punishment will be that he will have to surrender the money he made...? Nothing else..?


[6 Points] DerpNetMeerkats:

Conspiracy to commit access device fraud, That must be one of the feds famous, vaguely worded criminal statuats. Well famous among federal inmates that is. Now I am genuinly concerned about hanging out in this sub. They are probably busy concocting some bulshit like..using a device of interstate comments.. or some other type if B.S. to take us all down! Fuckin fags.


[6 Points] DannyDGAF:

I knew this fool IRL! He never spoke bout anything like this to me tho. I woulda never guessed he was Trappy since he kept this info low key at least to me and other friends. Smoked with him when he came over to my place with his friend for a tattoo.


[7 Points] AnEvilKangaroo:

public relations specialist

he sure was special - yet the only mod for me that responded to disputes.


[5 Points] EternalTurmoil:

Interesting that he's not actually charged for the PR job so far.


[3 Points] bobbiggs69:

It's him.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/alphabay-spokesperson-ronald-l-wheeler-iii-aka-trappy-arraigned-federal-court

ALPHABAY Spokesperson Ronald L. Wheeler III A/K/A “Trappy” arraigned in federal court Northern District of Georgia ATLANTA - Ronald L. Wheeler, III, a/k/a Trappy, has been arraigned on federal charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. During the hearing, Wheeler waived indictment and opted to proceed by criminal information.

“This defendant was the mouthpiece for AlphaBay on the internet, encouraging others to access the Dark Web and purchase illegal drugs and contraband,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Like other defendants, Wheeler eventually learned that the Dark Web is not impenetrable; your actions will catch up to you, just like they did in this case.”

“Cyber criminals, such as Ronald L. Wheeler, present an omnipresent and increasingly critical threat to our community's safety. By acting as a spokesperson for the criminal element on AlphaBay, he served to further the agendas of those who chose to defy our laws and victimize our communities. He operated with an attitude of impunity, until now,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.

“People think the Dark Web allows them to be incognito, conduct criminal activity and profit undetected,” said James E. Dorsey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to shine light into the Dark Web and dismantle these corrupt criminal enterprises one at a time.”

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: Ronald L. Wheeler III a/k/a Trappy conspired with Alexandre Cazes a/k/a Alpha02 a/k/a Admin, and others to commit access device fraud through The Onion Routing (“TOR”) Dark Web marketplace AlphaBay.

AlphaBay was an international criminal marketplace that enabled users to purchase and sell stolen and fraudulently obtained access devices, illegal drugs, firearms, hacking tools, and other illicit goods and services. Sales listings on the website were organized into categories, including “Fraud,” “Drugs & Chemicals,” “Counterfeit Items,” “Weapons,” and “Carded Items.” Shortly before AlphaBay was shut down by law enforcement, the website contained thousands of sales listings for illegal products, including approximately 4,488 sales listings for stolen personally identifying information; 28,800 sales listings for stolen online account information; 6,008 sales listings for stolen credit card information; 3,586 sales listings for computer hacking tools, such as botnets and exploit kits; and 257,533 sales listings for illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and a variety of opioids. The sales of stolen personally identifying information, online account information, and credit card information all provided fertile grounds for access device fraud to flourish on the Dark Web.

The financial transactions conducted on AlphaBay occurred in virtual cryptocurrencies. Aside from product listings, AlphaBay provided message board forums where users could securely discuss their criminal activities and receive support from AlphaBay staffers.

On or about May 25, 2015, Wheeler began working as a public relations specialist for AlphaBay. Wheeler’s duties included moderating the AlphaBay subreddit on the internet website reddit.com; moderating the AlphaBay message board forums; mediating sales disputes among AlphaBay users; promoting AlphaBay on the internet; and providing non-technical assistance to AlphaBay users. In return for his work in the conspiracy, Wheeler received a salary in Bitcoin. Throughout his participation in the conspiracy, Wheeler advised the public on how to access AlphaBay and encouraged the public to use AlphaBay. Wheeler’s work with AlphaBay continued until early July 2017, when the FBI and its international law enforcement partners shut down AlphaBay and the AlphaBay owner, Cazes, was arrested in Thailand.

Ronald L. Wheeler, III, a/k/a Trappy, 24, of Streamwood, Illinois, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Janet F. King. Members of the public are reminded that the information only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal is prosecuting the case. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.


[3 Points] AnEvilKangaroo:

$23 million fortune as the site's creator and administrator, according to court documents.

didn't alexandre document that all himself in a excel file?


[3 Points] theshadowfax:

FUCK DA POLICE


[3 Points] InsanityDRM:

I wonder how long (if ever) till we hear any updates/news on Hansa. They've done a good job at keeping that investigation under wraps so far.


[3 Points] None:

HOLY FUCK! This lucky motherfucker!! IS probably getting the best lawyer and praying in a corner so hard HE AINT EVEN RELIGIOUS... This nigga!! Literally got a SINGLE FUCKING Charge out of AlphaBay, and the JUDGE ROR'D him as long as he takes drug tests. LOLOLO!!!!!! WOWWWWW.

If his record is clean, with a decent lawyer, he is going to walk away from this with a slap on the wrist. He might not even do anytime, he might walk off on a straight up fed probation deal. I wouldn't be shocked if he does no time at all or 2 years and less. With a strong lawyer promotiong a good case, ESPECIALLY, with all the FEDERAL DRUG PROGRAMS, if his record is clean and he pleads as some druggie did it all for his drug habit etc etc, which it seems like he is why ROR on pee tests for a access device charge?

Best of luck to him.


[2 Points] MandyThatGirl:

Eww 14 bitcoins lol. I guess Cazez really was doing allot of raw dogging.


[2 Points] None:

Nice guy a damn shame.


[2 Points] BlackGoatSemen:

Poor Trappy. At least they're not looking to give him football numbers worth of time.


[2 Points] alanturingsACE:

I wonder when he was originally arrested or charged, this is an ongoing case.


[2 Points] at69:

So he is just a man-child. Makes so much sense now. Hahaha. I hope that through this all we'll get some of his throwaway accounts published so we can go back and piece things together.


[2 Points] MuchoLoco:

The fuck is access fraud


[1 Points] Brookklyn:

Trappy was always helpful


[-4 Points] None:

fake story, no one of that name was ever arrested


[-5 Points] 1-800-Lsm:

this has been common knowledge for awhile now ..the only real new update here is trappy got him self an fucking awesome lawyer . His bill for his criminal defense must be an easy 150k maybe more


[-12 Points] 2infinity_andbeyond:

And to think, if they wouldn't have let AB become such a shit show with the guns, fraud, counterfeit currency, ahem fent ahem, etc, Id bet anything that they'd still be in operation to this day.