WHOA: Cooperating Witness in Silk Road Case: Where Is This Going to Lead?

Motherboard discusses the arrest on Thursday of alleged Silk Road consigliere Roger Thomas Clark and how he was caught.

Here is the key snippet on a cooperating witness:

Here, things get a little hazier, with the introduction of an unnamed cooperating witness (labeled in the complaint as “CW-1”).

In April, this witness allegedly told law enforcement that “Roger Clark” is the individual behind the Variety Jones alias, and that Clark also used the nickname “Mongoose.” In chat logs from Ulbricht's computer, Cimon indicated that he had used his name.

“I was, and am, Plural of Mongoose,” he allegedly wrote. “Folks who know and love me, it's Mongoose.”

CW-1, according to a footnote in the complaint, has already been charged with crimes for his participation in Silk Road, and is cooperating with law enforcement in the hopes of getting a lighter sentence.