Dianne
11-19-2013, 05:09 AM
Sounds like a bunch of bs to me.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/18/obama-ricin-silk-road_n_4298926.html
An individual suspected of sending a letter laced with the poison ricin to President Barack Obama earlier this year is, according to the Department of Homeland Security, a former vendor on Silk Road, the online black market shut down by federal authorities in October.
Ahead of a Senate committee on digital currency such as Bitcoin, DHS official Brian De Vallance sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs detailing the agency's efforts regarding virtual currency and its ties to criminal activity. In the letter, Vallance briefly mentions a link between Silk Road and the ricin-laced mail.
"Of recent noteworthy interest was the determination that the suspect who had sent Ricin to President Obama earlier this year was a vendor on the Silk Road site," Vallance writes.
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) mentioned the ricin link during an opening statement at Monday's hearing.
“The anonymity of the market place and near anonymity of the currency made it nearly impossible for law enforcement to track and, therefore made it an attractive place for criminal activity," Carper said. “In fact, in the course of our investigation, the Department of Homeland Security informed us that the suspect who allegedly sent ricin to President Obama in April of this year was a vendor on Silk Road."
As Mashable points out, two individuals have been accused of sending the president the poisoned letters: James Everett Dutschke and Shannon Guess Richardson. Dutschke was arrested after allegedly sending ricin-laced mail to Obama in April, while Richardson allegedly mailed the letters to the president in May. However, the DHS did not refer to the Silk Road-connected suspect by name.
Read the full letters from federal agencies below, courtesy of Wired:
Office of Legislative Affairs
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
November 12, 2013
The Honorable Thomas R. Carper Chairman Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairman Carper: Thank you for your recent letter requesting information related to virtual currencies. I appreciate this opportunity to comment on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) expertise in this area. The most critical capability for transnational organized crime is to quickly and quietly move large quantities of money across borders. The anonymity of cyberspace affords a unique opportunity for criminal organizations to launder huge sums of money undetected. With the advent of virtual currencies and the ease with which financial transactions can be exploited by criminal organizations, DHS has recognized the need for an aggressive posture toward this evolving trend. DHS, through its law enforcement components such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service, has been actively investigating the emerging threat and criminal exploitation of virtual currency systems that further transnational criminal operations. This effort includes targeting the underground black markets on the Internet that are operated by transnational criminal networks. The multi-prong strategy employed by DHS also targets the virtual currency platforms and the network of virtual currency exchange makers. The strategic plan to combat this criminal activity relies heavily on building upon new and existing interagency partnerships as well as educating financial institutions, specifically their Anti-Money Laundering Departments, on this criminal methodology. DHS is committed to safeguarding the Nation’s financial payment systems by investigating and dismantling criminal organizations involved in cybercrime. Responding to the growth in these types of crimes and the level of sophistication these criminals employ requires significant resources and greater collaboration among law enforcement and its public and private sector partners. DHS will continue to be innovative in its approach and has enclosed relevant information, as well as significant case summaries.
The Honorable
Thomas R. Carper Page 2
The Department is pleased that the Committee recognizes the magnitude of these issues and the evolving nature of these crimes. I look forward to continuing to work closely with you on this and other homeland security matters. Senator Coburn will receive a separate, identical response. Should you need additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at (202) 447-5890.
Respectfully, Brian de Vallance Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Enclosures
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/18/obama-ricin-silk-road_n_4298926.html
An individual suspected of sending a letter laced with the poison ricin to President Barack Obama earlier this year is, according to the Department of Homeland Security, a former vendor on Silk Road, the online black market shut down by federal authorities in October.
Ahead of a Senate committee on digital currency such as Bitcoin, DHS official Brian De Vallance sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs detailing the agency's efforts regarding virtual currency and its ties to criminal activity. In the letter, Vallance briefly mentions a link between Silk Road and the ricin-laced mail.
"Of recent noteworthy interest was the determination that the suspect who had sent Ricin to President Obama earlier this year was a vendor on the Silk Road site," Vallance writes.
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) mentioned the ricin link during an opening statement at Monday's hearing.
“The anonymity of the market place and near anonymity of the currency made it nearly impossible for law enforcement to track and, therefore made it an attractive place for criminal activity," Carper said. “In fact, in the course of our investigation, the Department of Homeland Security informed us that the suspect who allegedly sent ricin to President Obama in April of this year was a vendor on Silk Road."
As Mashable points out, two individuals have been accused of sending the president the poisoned letters: James Everett Dutschke and Shannon Guess Richardson. Dutschke was arrested after allegedly sending ricin-laced mail to Obama in April, while Richardson allegedly mailed the letters to the president in May. However, the DHS did not refer to the Silk Road-connected suspect by name.
Read the full letters from federal agencies below, courtesy of Wired:
Office of Legislative Affairs
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
November 12, 2013
The Honorable Thomas R. Carper Chairman Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairman Carper: Thank you for your recent letter requesting information related to virtual currencies. I appreciate this opportunity to comment on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) expertise in this area. The most critical capability for transnational organized crime is to quickly and quietly move large quantities of money across borders. The anonymity of cyberspace affords a unique opportunity for criminal organizations to launder huge sums of money undetected. With the advent of virtual currencies and the ease with which financial transactions can be exploited by criminal organizations, DHS has recognized the need for an aggressive posture toward this evolving trend. DHS, through its law enforcement components such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service, has been actively investigating the emerging threat and criminal exploitation of virtual currency systems that further transnational criminal operations. This effort includes targeting the underground black markets on the Internet that are operated by transnational criminal networks. The multi-prong strategy employed by DHS also targets the virtual currency platforms and the network of virtual currency exchange makers. The strategic plan to combat this criminal activity relies heavily on building upon new and existing interagency partnerships as well as educating financial institutions, specifically their Anti-Money Laundering Departments, on this criminal methodology. DHS is committed to safeguarding the Nation’s financial payment systems by investigating and dismantling criminal organizations involved in cybercrime. Responding to the growth in these types of crimes and the level of sophistication these criminals employ requires significant resources and greater collaboration among law enforcement and its public and private sector partners. DHS will continue to be innovative in its approach and has enclosed relevant information, as well as significant case summaries.
The Honorable
Thomas R. Carper Page 2
The Department is pleased that the Committee recognizes the magnitude of these issues and the evolving nature of these crimes. I look forward to continuing to work closely with you on this and other homeland security matters. Senator Coburn will receive a separate, identical response. Should you need additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at (202) 447-5890.
Respectfully, Brian de Vallance Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Enclosures