Free State Project participant Andrew Michael Jones of Norfolk, Virginia was arrested in December of 2013 along with others accused of being the operators of the Silk Road underground marketplace. Andrew is alleged to be the longtime site administrator, “Inigo”. Thus far, almost all of the news headlines about the Silk Road arrests have gone to Ross Ulbricht, who is accused of being the infamous site’s creator and head admin, “Dread Pirate Roberts”. Andrew is accused of similar allegations as Ross, “conspiracy to commit money laundering, narcotics trafficking, and hacking” and is facing spending the rest of his life in federal prison.
While Ross Ulbricht was not offered bail, Andrew was able to get out on $1,000,000 bail thanks to his parents, who did not have anything close to that amount of money, so they put up their house and retirement incomes to secure a bond. His bail conditions include 24/7 house arrest at his parents’ house and being strictly forbidden from using any internet capable device. His girlfriend, Birdie, (who is also a Free State Project participant) is the one who reached out to me and she and Andrew’s family have set up a website to accept contributions to his legal fund, as they can use all the help they can get.
Birdie and Andrew
Andrew’s mother, Judy Jones, 68, told me this about him, “He’s very bright, kind, generous and has always been an idealist. When he first told me about bitcoins, he helped me envision a world where the central banks are no longer in charge of money. If it were instead a peer-based monetary system, so much good can come from that. I have hope for a better world thanks to his generation (the Millennials).”
Unlike Ross’ case, Andrew does not face the “kingpin” charge. Plus, he has not been libeled with allegations of murder for hire, as Ross has. Hopefully, that will help with this fundraising ability. He has retained the services of attorney Samuel M. Braverman and the bill will likely be very expensive.
As have many activists looking at moving to New Hampshire, Andrew and Birdie made the pilgrimage to Keene in December of 2012 and came to visit Social Sunday. I met both of them there and truly hope he can get through this difficult time with the minimum damage possible. If Andrew did not administer the Silk Road, then he’s a man wrongfully accused, but if he did, he’s a hero. The Silk Road was (and is) the most important development to happen to the black market in our lifetimes. (more…)
This week’s AKPF #1 installment focuses on recent events across the globe, as linguistics professor Noam Chomsky narrates an analysis of what has driven the tragic massacres in Gaza. Illustrated with footage from the area and beyond, this special edition ranks among the most informative and insightful episodes.
A probable cause hearing was held yesterday in Keene district court in the case of State v James M. Phillips. Phillips stands accused of causing the hospitalization of Matthew “Yankee” Oldershaw after allegedly shoving or tackling him into the jagged granite which comprises the fountain in Central Square. During the hearing, sole witness Benjamin Nugent presented verbal accounts of his interactions with witnesses and analysis of video from the scene, including the only footage which partially captures the assault, as filmed by the currently incarcerated Free Keene blogger Rich Paul. Information presented which would normally be discounted as hearsay was admissible as Nugent recalled the statements of others collected over the course of his investigation into the incident. A public defender cross examined Nugent after direct examination from KPD prosecutor Jean Kilham.
A copy of the paperwork from the case reveals the bail conditions attached to the single charge of 2nd degree assault from the June 03 incident. An arrest warrant issued on July 11 was followed with instructions to not be present in Central Square, to have no contact with Matthew Oldershaw, and to refrain from the use of alcohol. A PR bail of $1000 was set on the day of the arrest.
Following yesterday’s hearing, judge Edward Burke found the state’s evidence sufficient to constitute probable cause for advancing the felony case to the superior court, where it will likely be heard before judge John Kissinger. Video from the hearing is available at Fr33manTVraw. Additional written coverage from the court by Martha Shanahan was published today in the Keene Sentinel.
After video recording his arraignment for charges of Second-Degree Assault, James Michael Phillips and his posse, including Justin Paquette came across the street and knocked my camera to the ground. Before attacking me and my property, it appears they called the police to the scene. When the police arrived, they investigated the crimes of theft and two assaults.
Here are the raw videos capturing the scene that unfolded. Unfortunately, each video cuts out after the assailants grab the cameras from my hands and threw them on the ground.
Today I attended and recorded the public arraignment of James Michael Phillips. The Keene Police charged Phillips with Second-Degree Assault. He will face that charge beginning this Wednesday, Aug 6 at 1:30p for a Hearing at Keene District Court. Part of his conditions set by Judge Burke included a no-contact order with Matthew Oldershaw (his victim). Judge Burke also gave an order that Phillips may not speak with Dorrie O’Meara about the case. Here is the full arraignment video:
This week’s intriguing installment takes us yet again in a Keene courtroom, this time the Superior branch as Rich Paul stands trial on alleged violations of probation. Accused of possessing a weapon and having a biological system saturated with tetrahydrocannabinol, state actors tried long and hard to succeed on both counts. With an AKPF #1 producer as a witness and a seasoned public defender as his attorney, Rich was ultimately successful in defeating all weapons charges levelled against him. There was no denying the THC saturation, and the judge ultimately sentenced Rich to six months at the Cheshire Spiritual Retreat on those grounds, though remarkably with the liberating condition of probation termination after service of that sentence. Concluding the episode is a sign wave outside of the jail featuring Oscar the dog.
