Bitcoin, guns, ammo, drugs, a long rap sheet…and anarchy. Not a skilful mix, every bit i recent criminal representative out of Arizona has proven.
A multi-agency federal chore force raided local bitcoin trader, too anarchist blogger, Morpheus Titania’s bird final week. Court documents, available online inwards electronic courtroom filings too showtime reported past times CoinDesk, demonstrate that USA Magistrate Michelle Burns ordered Costanzo to stay inwards custody until his trial afterward a hearing. Costanzo is considered a “serious flying risk” cheers to a long history of criminal bear too “a tape of prior failure to look inwards courtroom every bit ordered.”
Morpheus, whose legal cite is Thomas Mario Costanzo, was existence held until his representative was to live on heard, but volition stay inwards custody for longer.
According to courtroom records, he’s been charged amongst possession of 3 boxes of Winchester ammunition for an altogether threescore cartridges “in dissimilar calibers.” He denied ownership of the ammunition, but admitted they were inwards indeed his apartment, according to records, which did non say who owned them.
Thanks to a 2015 conviction inwards Maricopa County for a felony marijuana possession charge, Costanzo is non legally permitted to possess firearms or ammunition, too was hence inwards violation of Arizona dry soil law. Homeland Security Investigations steered a raid on Apr twenty of Costanzo’s Mesa apartment. However, it it did non bring to practise amongst his marijuana offenses nor illegal possession of guns too ammunition.
The warrant issued past times U.S. Magistrate Judge David Duncan sought evidence, instead, that Costanzo may bring operated every bit an “unlicensed money transmitting business,” – a license which requires i to become through an application procedure amongst government. Prosecutors likewise debate that Costanzo sold drugs too hid the profits from his operations.
Agents could seize illegal drugs, Bitcoin records too fiscal documents, computers, cellphones too other items. Costanzo’s jail στοιχείο proper substantive upward companionship received a search warrant to gain tracking data on his prior whereabouts.
Freedom’s Phoenix, a conspiracy website run past times Libertarian activist Ernest Hancock, published warrant records on Tuesday obtained past times his radio show Freedom’s Phoenix, for whom Costanzo works as sales too marketing manager. Hancock said on air the ii bring been friends since 2003. Photos from the raid inwards Mesa characteristic SWAT squad members too other officers, every bit good every bit an armored vehicle, surrounding the Costanzo’s building. The bird landlord said Costanzo has lived at that spot lone for around i year. Costanzo oftentimes refers to himself online every bit i of the most prolific bitcoin traders inwards the area. Localbitcoins tape exhibit he has made to a greater extent than than 100 trades inwards 4 years, too has well-nigh a dozen reviews on the website.
On the bitcoin trading website, Costanzo’s profile reads, “Hey I’m Morpheus let’s teach together too practise Bitcoin :)”.
His feedback score is 100%, too the showtime activity on the trouble organisation human relationship was nearly 4 years ago. He is trusted past times 30+ people on the website. He has manifestly been active inwards both Florida too Arizona.
“Awesome to move with!” i of his customers wrote inwards a review.
Another wrote: “MorpheusTitania is a corking trader! He went higher upward too beyond on my final trade. There was a mix-up too he waited for over an threescore minutes earlier nosotros could meet. You tin merchandise amongst confidence amongst MorpheusTitania.” Costanzo idea highly of himself, every bit well.
“Because of his rock-solid reputation, he is i of the biggest sellers inwards the Phoenix area,” Costanzo wrote well-nigh himself inwards 2014 on i of his spider web sites, Titanians.org. “Morpheus is instantly semi-retired every bit a bitcoin trader / entrepreneur.” Costanzo has been arrested numerous fourth dimension too served viii months inwards prison theatre inwards the mid-1980s afterward fleeing from police.
He received probation afterward a 2015 guilty plea for misdemeanor convictions inwards ii marijuana cases, every bit good every bit a felony inwards the third, according to courtroom records.
If Arizona had similar laws to the viii states too Washington D.C. where marijuana is legalized for adults 21 too older, Costanzo would never bring been charged too convicted of possession 3 times, nor been stripped of his gun rights. According to local Homeland Security spokeswoman Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe tells New Times, the investigation is “open too active”.
This is the 2nd fourth dimension inwards the past times calendar month Arizona has made Bitcoin too blockchain headlines. The Senate of the dry soil of Arizona recently passed the bill, HB 2417, which was introduced past times dry soil representative Jeff Weninger on half dozen February, 2017. The mouth passed amongst a vote of 28-1 where it was too so passed along to Arizona’s governor Doug Ducey. “Smart contracts may be inwards commerce,” reads the bill. “A contract relating to a transaction may non live on denied legal effect, validity or enforceability exclusively because that contract contains a smart contract term.”
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