[stevebmark]

This makes me very sad, but it's hard to explain why. The nonviolent crime charges leading to a life sentence is part of it. The obvious inability of our modern legal system to understand technology above a basic level is part of it. Maybe I'm not separating how awful "the drug trade" might be from some kid running a darkweb network. This sentence stings in a weird way.

[SomeStupidPoint]

What do you think the courts don't understand about technology that's relevant to this case?

You're saying he's just a middleman, but that's what he's accused of being: a guy who brokered millions of drug deals between suppliers and consumers, and made a ton of money doing it. Why does it matter that he did it via a darknet website or in person?

Being a drug network middleman is illegal, no matter how you do it. And he was one of the largest in history.

[dragonwriter]

> The nonviolent crime charges leading to a life sentence is part of it.

Conspiracy charges where the overt acts charged include murder for hire (even if murder for hire isn't separately charged) is not really a nonviolent crime charge.

[ryan-allen]

Especially when USA citizens are dying from prescription medication overdoses at a rate higher than illegal drugs.

[eli]

He sold those prescription drugs on the site too though.

[Mtinie]

No, he didn't sell the drugs...he facilitated the exchange of drugs (illicit and prescription) between other people.

To me the difference between the two statements isn't one of simple semantics.