One of the biggest frustrations with the federal court system is the fact that recording hearings in any form is completely forbidden, and has been since 1946. No audio, no video, no photographs can be taken. Only pen/pencil and paper are allowed. We tried to get the judge to provide at least an online/phone audio feed as the federal civil courts had done since COVID. The courtroom is wired for sound and video at least since COVID, but alas, we were not successful in our request.
Free Keene blogger Chris Waid did an amazing job taking and transcribing notes every day and those were posted here, but no one sitting in the audience can capture all that is said. Thankfully, the court does offer an official record, which of course one must pay for. Since I plan to appeal my ridiculous convictions for victimless “crimes” regarding selling bitcoin, we have to have the full transcripts. Now we do and I’m legally able to share them publicly.
To make them easier to search and copy, I’ve put them all through Optical Character Recognition, so you can easily select blocks of text you might want to use for whatever purpose. Certainly there are many ridiculous moments that were hopefully somewhat captured by text, though obviously you don’t have the benefit of the witness’ facial expressions. Hopefully someday cameras will be allowed into federal courts, but for now full transcripts months later are the best we can do.
You can download all the trial transcripts in PDF form here as a ZIP file. It also includes the following index as a TXT file, showing the witnesses called on each day. Each PDF also has its own index up front showing the witnesses and pages on which their direct, cross, and any redirect examinations of them took place. Each day usually has two files, one for morning and one for afternoon. You can click each individually below if you don’t want to download them all at once in the ZIP file. (Depending on your browser, you may need to right click and save as to get the download working.)
Day 1 PM – Opening Statements Day 2 AM – PROSECUTION – Alexandra Comolli Day 2 PM – Alexandra Comolli, Theodore Vlahakis Day 3 AM – Theodore Vlahakis, Kathryn Thibault, Kevin McCusker, Derek Feather Day 3 PM – Christopher Rietmann, Colleen Fordham Day 4 AM – Hope Cherry, Bruce Sweet, Pavel Prilotsky Day 4 PM – Pavel Prilotsky, Renee Spinella Day 5 AM – Dustin Wong, Nicholas Nathans, James Rossell, Patrick Brown, Harold Jones Day 5 PM – Harold Jones, Melanie Neighbors, Karla Cino Day 6 AM – Kendall McBrearty Day 6 PM – Dannela Varel, Kendall McBrearty Day 7 AM – Kendall McBrearty, Rebecca Ault, Kate Eyerman, Nancy Triestram Day 7 PM – Nancy Triestram, Diane Cacace, Thomas Connolly, Colleen Ranahan Day 8 AM – Renee Spinella Day 9 AM – DEFENSE – Keith Murphy, Max Santonastaso, Edward Forster, Adam Mosher, Dael Chapman, Carolynn Urbanski, Melinda Cambiar, Ian Freeman Day 9 PM – Ian Freeman Day 10 AM – Mohammed Ali, Paul Niwa, Closing Arguments Day 10 PM – Jury Instructions Day 11 – Verdict
The latest on the case is both sides are currently arguing over the motion to dismiss that my attorney, Mark Sisti, made during the trial at both the close of prosecution and at the end of the defense. Presuming the judge does not throw out all eight counts, we will move to sentencing that is currently set for August 17th, though there is a good chance that will be delayed yet again. Should you wish to write the judge on my behalf, you can find instructions and an address here.
Meanwhile, my co-defendant Aria DiMezzo is in a federal prison camp in Devens, MA serving an 18-month sentence for the completely victimless paperwork violation of operating a “money transmitting business” without a government permission slip. Sadly, but understandably – it’s scary to face down a dozen charges in front of government-biased juries – she took a plea to the charge despite the statutes not mentioning cryptocurrency in any way and despite the fact that bitcoin is never “transmitted” at all, by the government’s own definition of “transmitting”. Unfortunately one cannot appeal a plea deal under most circumstances, so she’ll have to serve some as-yet-undetermined amount of the 18-month sentence. However, you can help her make the time go faster by writing her letters, sending books, or money for commissary. Instructions are here at AriaDiMezzo.com.
As always, stay tuned here to Free Keene or Free Talk Live for the latest.
As observed masterfully in The Gulag Archipelago, everything changes after the arrest–rather, everything changes *during* the arrest. I had previously divided my life into “pre-New Hampshire” and after moving to the Granite State, but the arrest, the violence of the FBI threatening to shoot me, and the traumatic reality into which I was thrust that the illusion of safety had been ripped away became the new dividing point for me. While they searched my house for people and weapons, and as I stolld in only panties and a blanket as early morning wintry winds of New Hampshire swept through my house more efficiently than any strike team, I said nothing but held out hope that they were there for my roommate, not for me. This pipedream was soon smashed like my front door, as they escorted me into another part of my house, closed the doors, disconnected my cameras, and told me that I was under arrest.
There are a few subtle, but important ways that my raid and arrest differs from those recounted by Solzhenitsyn. The United States has watched the rise and fall fo empires and ideologies, and has learned from the mistakes of Hitler, Mao, and the USSR. It knows that Americans would never allow the secret arrests, lack of charges, and other silliness of the USSR. Like other Communist rulerships, the USSR wielded uncertainty and terror as its primary weapons, but Americans would never allow tyranny to approach in such a way. The “rule of law” is too critical to the propaganda of the U.S., and such behavior would undermine the one great conceit underpinning the entire monstrous system: because of Democracy, that blessed thing, we are the government, and we create the law, and, as such, we do these things to ourselves; they are not done to us, against our will, by an unaccountable terrorist regime, because we consent to this! Even if you or I don’t, *we* do, and somehow this illusory entity is able to act without our actual consent.
The weapons of the USSR have been replaced by the loaded gun that is the Democracy, “the majority!”, and as long as that illusion is allowed to persist, the Americans will do nothing. Anything so crass as the Soviet display where a captive audience was forced to clap for Stalin for fifteen and more minutes, and Americans would revolt. In the U.S., no leader is supreme, or above any other person, and yet *is* above every person, a priest in this religion called statism, this wretched cult, and any decree they make must present itself as separate from the flesh herald–the priest speaks, but only, we are assured, to relay to us the message from our god, the unimpeachable and unknown Majority. Any display of respect or adoration must be made to the institutions, to the Church, and to the god–to do otherwise, as Trump did (and, indeed, Trump partially shattered this American illusion for millions), is to threaten to derail the entire system, leaving us at the mercy not of a benevolent majority but a corrupt tyrant.
And how could Americans not fall for the ruse? Nearly all childrens’ cartoons and coloring books present the Friendly Policeman, only there to help old ladies cross the street and to protect the children. And really! Is there anything more absolutely absurd in our world than how closely linked in the cultural zeitgeist are police and firefighters? How might we react if firefighters searched around for problems to justify their existence, and campaigned to legislatures for new regulations to make fires more likely (and, thus, their need to exist, and, critically, their *budgets* ever greater)? But we learn as children that these thugs who exist solely to use violence against us, are still somehow our friends, and rare is the person who succumbs to this constant programming for 18 years, and then breaks free.
On Thursday July 28th judge Joseph N. Laplante concluded the sentencing hearing for Crypto6’s Mr Nobody with a ruling to the maximum degree possible in his favor, and below is a run down of the defenses, prosecutors, and judges thoughts and arguments.
For more detail of what happened and a bit of a backstory on the sentencing check out Freedom Decrypted episode 170 where we covered the pre-sentencing motions that went into the variance granted (or in other words the request to reduce the sentence below that typically authorized by the sentencing guidelines).
The notes from the sentencing hearing are as follows:
– Mr Nobody is pleading guilty to a single count of wire fraud
Judge opens with a speech on the sentencing guidelines being the guiding force behind determining the sentence, but are not a hard rule to be followed, and he can sentence Mr Nobody outside of the guidelines.
There is a sealed pre-sentencing report that was created by the court of which came to 26 pages in length. Unfortunately due to certain information contained within it is sealed, but this is for Mr Nobody’s benefit and it may be that this report can be released by him and/or released by him with appropriate sections redacted. While this may not be relevant to Mr Nobody’s sentencing report the type of information that can be included includes information such as histories of mental illness that would be inappropriate to release to the public. Our opportunity as the public therefore to be outraged by the malicious, manipulative, or outright lies contained in it must therefore be reserved till a later date.
Possible outcome based on sentencing guidelines and guilty plea:
Dozens of armed thugs were prepared for mass arrests.
A couple of weeks ago, hundreds of freedom-loving activists made headlines when they converged on a meeting of New Hampshire’s governor and the “executive council”. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss accepting $27 million taxpayer dollars from the federal gang to promote COVID vaccinations. Cowardly state employees walked out of the meeting claiming they were in fear for their safety and the lone democrat on the executive council called the activists’ behavior “insurrectionist”. Sununu canceled the meeting and it was rescheduled for this morning.
Again, hundreds of activists gathered this morning at a larger venue, the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, for the rescheduled meeting to consider accepting the $27 million bribe. This time, the state gang was prepared for mass arrests with at least 50 state troopers on hand as well as multiple police prisoner transport vans. During today’s meeting, there were indeed several arrests, with activists facing “Disorderly Conduct” charges.
In New Hampshire, the executive council is a check on executive power. There are five councilors and any contracts valued over $10,000 must be approved by the council, which is why the $27 million offer from the federal goons has to get the nod from a majority of the executive council. Despite tyrant-king “governor” Chris Sununu advocating the council accept the COVID bribe money, surprisingly the council voted 4-1 down party lines to REJECT the money!
Sununu issued a whining press release after the meeting, saying, “today’s vote by members of my own party on the Executive Council was a total disservice to the constituents we serve…The vote showed a reckless disregard for the lives we are losing while they turn away the tools our state needs to fight and win this battle against COVID.”
Dozens in the crowd turned their backs on the council during.
Meanwhile, dozens of activists visited the Merrimack County Spiritual Retreat where the nine people arrested were processed and released. I spoke with Absolute Defiance founder Frank “Footloose” Staples about the arrests. He says they were charged with the police favorite catch-all, “Disorderly Conduct” and one caught a “Resisting Arrest” charge. One of the arrested is a 70-year old woman.
When asked about the rumor that he was arrested on a warrant from the PRIOR meeting, Footloose said he isn’t sure as despite the fact that he was arrested, processed, and released from jail, at no point was he issued a “COMPLAINT” with any details regarding his charge. Prior to his arrest and the arrest of another leader, nurse Terese Grinnell, neither were asked to leave or warned in any way.
Footloose also explained that the meeting room had a large plastic curtain dividing it and behind the curtain were dozens of state troopers – presumably waiting to make arrests. So, by dividing up the room into an area for the audience and an area for potential mass arrests, the gang was able to keep a large chunk of activists from entering the building. Very sneaky.
Regardless, the executive councilors got the message from the people and they did the right thing and rejected the federal bribe, an act of nullification – proving again that New Hampshire is a special place where freedom actually has a chance to win.
The attack on the Crypto Six is more evidence that the libertarian migration to New Hampshire is a clear threat to the status quo. First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. We’re solidly in the “fight you” phase. The Verge feature will hopefully raise awareness of the ongoing attack on liberty-loving activists here in New Hampshire and bring even more people to the front lines of peaceful activism here. It even mentions secession!
For the first time since being caged, Ross Ulbricht — no stranger to readers of FreeKeene.com — candidly, and powerfully spoke out. In this 25-minute audio recording he:
details his motivation for creating the Silk Road and his subsequent character assassination and caging
implores his captors to act not with contempt but compassion
shares his excitement about the liberating impact of decentralized cryptocurrency for individuals & humanity
On Thursday July 28th judge Joseph N. Laplante concluded the sentencing hearing for Crypto6’s Mr Nobody with a ruling to the maximum degree possible in his favor, and below is a run down of the defenses, prosecutors, and judges thoughts and arguments.
