| Roger
Clark of Silk
Road Gets 20
Years As
Describes BOP
Corruption at
MDC Brooklyn
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
July 11–
Roger
Thomas Clark
pleaded guilty
to his role in
Silk Road on
January 30,
2020, after a
period of
confinement in
Thailand.
He allocuted
to sale of
LSD, meth,
heroin and
cocaine for
sale in NYC.
He was asked
if it was
connected to
"an
underground
website known
as the Silk
Road" and said
yes.
On March 7,
2023 U.S.
District Court
for the
Southern
District of
New York Judge
Sidney H.
Stein held a
proceeding.
Inner City
Press went and
covered it,
see below.
On
July 11, 2023,
Judge Stein
sentenced
Clark to 20
years - but
not before
Clarke
described in
detail
corruption at
the
Metropolitan
Detention
Center in
Brooklyn.
Inner City
Press thread here
All
rise!
Judge
Stein: The
pre-sentencing
report was
from 2020,
updated Nov
2022.
Defense:
My client
wants another
adjournment.
He has not
completed his
written
submission. He
cannot finish
it - but only
wants to
explain under
seal. Judge:
It's been 3
years
Judge:
I sense that
Mr Clarke does
not want to be
sentenced. He
says he wants
to describe
his
victimization
in Thailand.
Doesn't he
want to be
designated out
of the MDC?
Get some fresh
air? I will
consider this.
But I deny any
further
adjournment
Defense:
We want time
served. Judge:
Guideline is
life in
prison, but
capped by
statute at 20
years.
Defense: He
was been
detained 5
years. He is
motivated and
loyal to his
projects. He
has family in
Canada. He is
not remorseful
for saying DEA
should be
abolished
Defense:
He committed
crimes in part
due to his
political
beliefs. He
has described
in Thailand
prison being
forced to
watch rapes.
He himself was
victimised.
Then he has
pigeonholed by
a BOP
"expert."
Defense:
He fell in his
cell in the
MDC and broke
bones. They
left him there
overnight.
Then at NYU
Langone he has
not allowed to
speak to
anyone for 11
days. Roger
Clark got
involved with
Silk Road not
for money but
because it was
something he
was interested
in
AUSA:
We ask for the
full 20 years.
Clark:
Get a good
look at me,
[turns and
looks at
Press] I'll
probably be
killed after
this.
They came to
search the
MDC. They put
a note under
my cell
door,
you can keep
your phone for
$250, send
money by
CashApp or
Zoele
Clark:
But someone
switched the
notes, to say
send it to
another
account. So it
was a huge
problem. The
night I broke
my pelvis is
the night they
returning
people's
phones to
them. CO
"Bonus" said
he wouldn't
call medical.
The contraband
was being
returned for
money
Clark:
At NYU Langone
they didn't
let me speak
because if I
died someone
would be
charged with
felony murder.
My lawyer
later raised
it to the
judge. SIS
"did d*ck"
Judge:
Tell me about
the Dark Web.
Clark: I
bought from
NSO and
designed
exploits to
identify
people on TOR,
Project
Playpen, I
helped cases
in all 11
Circuits, I
was playing
sheriff on the
Dark Web
Clark:
At Silk Road
we tried to
test the
drugs. I told
myself, Harm
reduction.
Then I studied
Ross' appeal.
After my brush
with death, I
withdrew mt
objection to
the PSR on 6
overdose
deaths
Clark:
I've
disappointed
my family,
I've lost my
God and I've
lost my
freedom. Judge
Stein: I
intend to
impose the
twenty year
sentence. Silk
Road
distributed
drugs and
hacking tools
Judge:
Mr Clark has
described
corruption in
the MDC. He
should tell
the
prosecutors of
the SDNY [who
are here and
have heard it
all]
More
detail on
Substack here
Back
in March,
Clark was
brought in by
US Marshals in
a non-electric
wheelchair. He
was
representing
himself, with
a stand-by CJA
counsel. He
told Judge
Stein he had
lost his legal
material while
in the SHU at
the MDC in
Brooklyn, and
that he still
thought he had
COVID, citing
a "false
negative."
Judge Stein
reviewed the
procedural
history of the
case and
opined that
Clark had been
trying to
delay
sentencing.
Clark said he
doesn't even
have a pen,
and asked to
have his
stand-by
appointed as
his lawyer.
The stand-by
said that
while he gets
along with
Clark, the two
do not agree
on strategy.
He was
nevertheless
appointed, for
the purpose of
making an
April 21
filing, only
that scope,
not other
legal research
requested by
Clark. We're
not going to
re-litigate
this case,
Clark was
told. And,
there will be
no new lawyer
after this.
(Clark asked
to have the
courtroom
sealed, but
Inner City
Press held its
ground. Judge
Stein noted,
correctly,
that there is
a high
standard to
seal a
courtroom in a
Federal
criminal
case).
Sentencing
was set for
May 18 at
10:30
am.
The
case is US v.
Clark,
15-cr-866
(Stein)
***
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