Variety Jones and Smedley
{{Short description|Co-founders of the darknet marketplace the Silk Road}}
{{Redirect|Variety Jones|the Dublin restaurant|Variety Jones (restaurant)}}
Variety Jones (or Cimon) and Smedley Charger (or Smed) are pseudonyms of individuals reported to have been closely involved with the founding of the darknet market Silk Road.{{cn|date=January 2025}}
Involvement
According to security researcher Runa A. Sandvik, Variety Jones joined Silk Road in 2011 as a marijuana seed vendor, opposed to the war on drugs. Working closely with Ross Ulbricht, they were to act as a penetration tester, financial advisor and mentor, and was the person who suggested the "Dread Pirate Roberts" title Ulbricht used. According to seized chat logs, Jones was also the one to suggest the first alleged murder for hire,{{cite news|last1=Greenberg|first1=Andy|title=Silk Road Boss’ First Murder-for-Hire Was His Mentor’s Idea|url=https://www.wired.com/2015/04/silk-road-boss-first-murder-attempt-mentors-idea/|work=Wired|accessdate=11 October 2015|date=1 April 2015}} though it did not actually take place.{{cite news|last1=Bearman|first1=Joshuan|title=The Untold Story of Silk Road, Part 1|url=https://www.wired.com/2015/04/silk-road-1/|work=Wired|accessdate=11 October 2015}}
Smedley joined the site as a coder following the Gawker user influx{{failed verification|date=July 2021}}{{Cite news |url=http://gawker.com/5805928/the-underground-website-where-you-can-buy-any-drug-imaginable |title=The Underground Website Where You Can Buy Any Drug Imaginable |author=Adrian Chen |author-link=Adrian Chen |accessdate=15 June 2011 |date=1 June 2011 |work=Gawker |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120726124623/http://gawker.com/5805928/the-underground-website-where-you-can-buy-any-drug-imaginable |archive-date=26 July 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} as a relatively highly paid employee. Unfinished projects included encrypted email system "Silk Mail" and other prospective financial and internet projects. At times it appeared Smedley reported directly to Jones.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}
Identities
Research into these individuals' identities has been conducted via tracking blockchain Bitcoin transactions, confidential sources, rare Thai marijuana seeds and rationalisation of aliases. Consequently, it has been suggested Smedley's true identity could be Mike Wattier, an American web developer living in Thailand. Variety Jones is believed to be Roger Thomas Clark, a Canadian living in Thailand.{{cite news|last1=Cox|first1=Joseph|title=These Are the Two Forgotten Architects of Silk Road|url=http://motherboard.vice.com/read/these-are-the-two-forgotten-architects-of-the-silk-road|work=Vice|date=10 September 2015}} On December 3, 2015, Clark was arrested in Thailand and faced extradition to the United States.{{cite news|last1=Cox|first1=Joseph|title=FBI Says Suspected Silk Road Architect Variety Jones Has Been Arrested|url=http://motherboard.vice.com/read/fbi-says-suspected-silk-road-architect-variety-jones-has-been-arrested|work=Vice|accessdate=5 December 2015|date=4 December 2015}} In 2023, Clark was sentenced to 20 years in prison.{{Cite news |last=Greenberg |first=Andy |title=Silk Road’s Second-in-Command, Variety Jones, Gets 20 Years in Prison |url=https://www.wired.com/story/silk-road-variety-jones-sentencing/ |access-date=2024-08-02 |work=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}
Arrest and extradition
Nearly a year after his arrest and detainment in Thailand, Clark claimed he had "top secret information"{{Cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/09/exclusive-our-thai-prison-interview-with-an-alleged-top-advisor-to-silk-road/|title=Exclusive: Our Thai prison interview with the alleged top advisor to Silk Road|work=Ars Technica|access-date=2018-06-11|language=en-us}} for intelligence officials close to Prayut Chan-o-cha, prime minister of Thailand's military government.
While fighting extradition in Thailand, where he slept on a concrete floor, Clark maintained that he had knowledge of a corrupt FBI agent involved with Silk Road.
Clark was extradited to the United States on June 15, 2018. He was charged with narcotics trafficking conspiracy; narcotics trafficking; distributing narcotics by means of the internet; conspiracy to commit, and aid and abet, a computer hacking conspiracy; conspiracy to traffic in fraudulent identification documents; and money laundering conspiracy.{{Cite news|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/manhattan-us-attorney-announces-extradition-senior-adviser-operator-silk-road-website|title=Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Extradition Of Senior Adviser To The Operator Of The "Silk Road" Website|work=U.S. Department of Justice|access-date=2018-07-02|language=en-us}} In January 2020, Clark pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute narcotics.Mulvey, Erin (January 30, 2020) [https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2020/01/30/senior-advisor-silk-road-website-pleads-guilty-manhattan-federal-court "Senior advisor of the 'Silk Road' website pleads guilty in Manhattan Federal Court."] Drug Enforcement Administration press release. (Retrieved July 10, 2020). On July 11 2023, he was sentenced for 20 years.{{Cite web |title=United States v. Clark, 15-Cr-866 (SHS) {{!}} Casetext Search + Citator |url=https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-clark-901 |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=casetext.com}}
References
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
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