Citat:
Here's the timeline of events covered by the charges made against DPR in Maryland.
Note that all quotes and information are taken directly from the indictment itself and no other sources, however due to evidence gathering processes for computer crimes, I would tend to believe that the statements from DPR did at the very least come from his account and that it's not fabricated:
In April 2012, an undercover (UC) agent (agency not stated) began talking to DPR about selling drugs, claiming to be a trafficker of large quantities of drugs.
December 7th - DPR spoke to the UC, who complained that the current Silk Road vendors were only looking for small amounts of drugs, and that it wasn't worth it for less than 10k of cocaine.
December 8th - DPR got back in touch saying he'd found a buyer and that an employee would be in touch with details. The UC received an email from 'SR Support', stating they'd found an established SR vendor who'd purchase the drugs, payment was made through SR (ensuring DPR would take a cut, and thus be a co-conspirator).
December 17th > January 10th - The UC negotiated the sale of one kilogram of cocaine with the vendor, who then gave the UC an address to deliver the cocaine to, which "agents later determined was the residence of the Employee"
January 14th 2013 - The UC contacted DPR expressing concern that the vendor wanted the cocaine sent through USPS, DPR agreed, saying that another means of delivery was preferable.
January 17th - Agents delivered 1k of a mixture containing detectable amounts of cocaine to the employee. Upon receiving confirmation of the delivery, the vendor paid $27'000 in bitcoins through SR.
January 26th - DPR got in touch with the UC to tell him that the employee had been arrested and that he'd stolen funds from other SR users. He went on to say "I'd like him beat up, then forced to send the bitcoins he stole back. like sit him down at his computer and make him do it."
The next day he sent a follow up message, "can you change the order to execute rather than torture? [The employee] was on the inside for a while, and now that he's been arrested, I'm afraid he'll give up info." Adding, "[I've] never killed a man or had one killed before, but it is the right move in this case."
January 29th - DPR agreed to pay $80'000, with half in advance.
February 4th - DPR sent the first $40'000 an d asked for proof of death, "ask for a video, if they can't do that, then pictures" he went on to say "they should probably just give him the note, let him use his computer to send the coins back, and then kill him." "im more concerned about silencing him than getting that money back[,] considering his arrest, I have to assume he will sing"
February 8th - DPR asked about the status, the UC stated that the assassins were in place, but waiting for the employee's wife and daughter to leave, "they will go in and torture him to get your money, after that is done, then they get him out of the house and then take he somewhere where they can kill him". DPR replied "just let me know when it's done. We are still a go."
February 12th - DPR asked for an update, and the UC informed him that the employee was "still alive, but being tortured" and that the assassins "are good; they should break him." DPR replied "shouldn't be hard."
February 16th - the UC sent staged photographs of the torture, to which DPR replied that he was "A little disturbed, but I'm ok[,] I'm new to this kind of thing is all. I don't think I've done the wrong thing, I'm sure I will call on you again at some point, though I hope I won't have to."
February 19th - The UC contacted DPR on the 19th, saying "[The employee] is dead, they killed him this weekend, don't have details yet, and I'm waiting for a photo."
February 21st - The UC told DPR that the employee "died of asphyxiation/heart rupture" while being tortured, and sent a staged proof of death photograph. In response, DPR said "I'm pissed I had to kill him... but what's done is done, I just can't believe he was so stupid... I just wish more people had some integrity."
March 1st - DPR sent the remaining $40'000 to the government-controlled bank account.
The discrepancy between the stated 10 kilo minimum, and the actual 1 kilo transaction is never explained. I assume it was supposed to be a introduction purchase or similar?
According to the indictment, the "Employee" was hired as an administrator and had full access to SR, being able to view all transactions, messages and account details, including those of DPR. This seems like the most likely explanation for where the missing information comes from. If the feds were staging a torture and murder of the employee, he was presumably aware that DPR was trying to have him killed and would be quite amenable to aiding them. The active part of the Maryland operation ended in March, with the final payment. The image of the SR servers was taken in late July.