BurtW arrested (update: charges dropped!)

[unamis76]

Did they move your funds? If not, do you have another copy of the seed, or do you know it by heart to move the funds?

I seriously don't understand why they put you on solitary when they had nothing else to take away from you...

They moved the funds (twice for some reason).
There were several arrests made by the task force that weekend.
They did not want us to talk to each other so they issued an administrative separation order covering all the Bitcoiners arrested in the sweep.
At the detention center where I was held there are three huge separate jails, two general population jails and one SHU.
They had to assign each of us to a separate jail.
I was placed in the SHU on an administrative separation (as opposed to a punitive separation).
So, unless they were picking on my specifically, I just got the short straw when the guards selected which jail to assign us to.

Here is a picture of the center, check it out:

Federal Correctional Institution Englewood  

I was in my cell 23 hours a day and got one hour a day out in the slightly larger cage shown here:

Outdoor exersise area of the SHU

Thank you for your reply. That's really unfortunate they moved the coins... I seriously hope you get what's yours back.

It's also very shocking that they placed you on a cage 23 hours a day while murderers, robbers and pedophiles aren't even sentenced...

All the best for you and your family.

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[BurtW]

Thank you for your reply. That's really unfortunate they moved the coins... I seriously hope you get what's yours back.

It's also very shocking that they placed you on a cage 23 hours a day while murderers, robbers and pedophiles aren't even sentenced...

All the best for you and your family.

To be clear I was in a very small cell by myself 23 hours a day and out in the exercise yard in a bigger cage for fresh air by myself one hour a day.  I talked to the other guys through the bars a lot, since there was nothing else to do but at no time did I feel endangered by any of them since we were all separated at all times.

[jonald_fyookball]

I hope you get your coins back.  Be patient and persistent my friend.

[illodin]

On the day I was arrested at my client's office in front of my client and all my co-workers they did not have to tell me why I was being arrested - sealed arrest warrant.
That same day they searched our house and did not have to tell us what they were looking for - sealed search warrant.
...

Thank you very much for posting this. Should give food for thought for everyone regarding what the threat model we need to be safe against actually is. Plausible deniability is one of the things that come to mind.

[gogxmagog]

sounds like quite the ordeal, at least you are free now. After you get your stuff back, do you have recourse to sue? you were locked up for a long time.

[jabo38]

did you get a tattoo while you were in?   

just joking.  bet it felt so good to walk out the doors of that jail and drive away.

[gweedo]

Welcome back BurtW! I am glad justice did prevail in this case! Sorry you were left holding bag for that payment, get on your feet buddy!

[elvizzzzzzz]

"They did not want us to talk to each other so they issued an administrative separation order covering all the Bitcoiners arrested in the sweep."

There were several posts regarding the impact of public discussion of your case.
Did that help? Could we have done more? What was their attitude to bitcoin?

I'm working on the premise that at some time some government will try to arrest all bitcoiners,
and that it would be foolish to assume that cannot happen.

[Kprawn]

Seeing that all charges was dropped... can you sue them for wrongful arrest or something? Most people lose all seized items or it gets hold up in administrative rubbish for years

to frustrate the hell out of you.

They most probably dropped the charges because some procedures were not followed and they know the conviction success ratio is very low for this alleged offense.

In their opinion, can Localbitcoin users legally operate within the laws of the United states.... My guess is NO.. with all the KYC/AML regulations there.   

[CEG5952]

After doing a full thread back read, it seems that you can file charges against them for false accusation? Or maybe not. That's just my opinion though. Welcome back BurtW and I hope you get your coins back or at least a percentage of it if not full.

[Syke]

Sure, he can file a lawsuit, but it would be very costly and the odds of winning are highly stacked against him.

[Possum577]

http://www.coindesk.com/charges-against-colorado-bitcoin-trader-dismissed/

Great news! Colorado remains a Bitcoin friendly state.

It's very unfortunate that Burt has endured $95,000 of legal fees based on a charge that was ultimately deemed not worthy of bringing to the courts. I hope he plans to sue the Government or State of Colorado for recuperation and reimbursement of his time and money. The legal system also needs to reward people for the time and money they force citizens to endure for frivolous charges.

[QuestionAuthority]

Sure, he can file a lawsuit, but it would be very costly and the odds of winning are highly stacked against him.

If you file a lawsuit the fool behind the bench works for the government you're suing. Good luck with that.

[JorgeStolfi]

Great news! Colorado remains a Bitcoin friendly state.

Other people were charged in the same operation.  What happened to them?

[ACCTseller]

Great news! Colorado remains a Bitcoin friendly state.

The charges were federal, making state law, and the political environment in CO regarding bitcoin irrelevant.

Also, local law enforcement agencies (multiple according to reports) participated in the raiding of BurtW's home in order to share in the civil forfeiture proceeds...

[matt4054]

So it means BurtW would now be free to talk in this topic, right?

I believe he previously said he couldn't because of an injunction or something.

[BurtW]

Great news! Colorado remains a Bitcoin friendly state.

Other people were charged in the same operation.  What happened to them?

Just two pages back:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=934268.msg11890239#msg11890239

[BurtW]

So it means BurtW would now be free to talk in this topic, right?

I believe he previously said he couldn't because of an injunction or something.

Just read the last few pages of this thread.

[JorgeStolfi]

Great news! Colorado remains a Bitcoin friendly state.

Other people were charged in the same operation.  What happened to them?

Just two pages back:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=934268.msg11890239#msg11890239

Thanks! (I didn't realize that those cases were part of @BurtW's operation; I thought that they were just similar cases presented for comparison.)

[PolarPoint]

I am glad for you it's all over. They shouldn't have arrested you for only buying and selling bitcoins in the first place. Your family must have gone through hell and worried sick for you. Now that you are out, you deserve a nice holiday with you family.