BREAKING: BitInstant CEO Charlie Shrem Arrested!

Charlie Shrem, the CEO of the Bitcoin-based company BitInstant, was arrested at JFK Airport today upon arriving home from the North American Bitcoin Conference in Miami. According to the federal criminal complaint, Shrem is charged with “one count operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count willful failure to file suspicious activity report.”

According to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara:

“As alleged, Robert Faiella and Charlie Shrem schemed to sell over $1 million in Bitcoins to criminals bent on trafficking narcotics on the dark web drug site, Silk Road. Truly innovative business models don’t need to resort to old-fashioned law-breaking, and when Bitcoins, like any traditional currency, are laundered and used to fuel criminal activity, law enforcement has no choice but to act. We will aggressively pursue those who would coopt new forms of currency for illicit purposes.”

Is this the beginning of a bitcoin man-hunt? Are government agents seeking to use force, surprise arrests, and threats of furter intimidation to stifle growth and innovation in bitcoin? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. I will update this story as it develops.

United States vs. Charles Shrem and Robert M. Faiella

h/t Jessica Roy of Time.com http://business.time.com/2014/01/27/bitinstant-ceo-charlie-shrem-arrested-for-alleged-money-laundering/#ixzz2rchQmt9w

PNN Live #55 Bitcoin Better than Banks!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ummt06Fcc

Cop Goes Berzerk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBsUUlY_fXQ

 

Joël Valenzuela

on CoinMap.org, you can see New Hampshire has twice as many brick-and-mortar places accepting Bitcoin (20) than MA (10), despite having a fraction of the population

 

France Flirts with Coupon Money

http://rt.com/business/france-currency-alternative-euro-415/

 

Banks Can’t Take Dollars, JOB FOR BITCOIN!

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/12/us/banks-say-no-to-marijuana-money-legal-or-not.html?_r=1

 

Chase & Shootout of Man Killed Because they Can

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlT9te-mrbY

 

 

Wave of Police Brutality Confronts Nation, thanks to Video cameras

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7WxkKGwGNM

 

Check out this episode!

PNN Live #54 Dennis Rodman in North Korea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFNzYfUqdt0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH0W2vl9viM

 

Get the F*** OUT!

 

18-yr old shot by cops

http://benswann.com/parents-call-cops-for-help-with-nonviolent-schizophrenic-18-yr-old-cops-shoot-the-teen-dead/

 

Explain Bitcoin Like I’m Five

https://medium.com/p/73b4257ac833

 

Seabrook NH Police Throw Man Against Wall

http://www.wmur.com/news/nh-news/seabrook-officers-on-leave-as-officials-look-into-youtube-video/-/9857858/23811402/-/37favpz/-/index.html#mid=17676140

 

Bitcoin Transaction from North Korea

http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1ulha7/the_first_bitcoin_transaction_in_north_korea/

 

Dennis Rodman Goes a Little Nuts

http://www.thewire.com/global/2014/01/dennis-rodman-loses-it-during-cnn-interview-pyongyang/356764/

Who the Heck is Kenneth Bae?

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/07/us/who-is-kenneth-bae/

 

 

Roderick Long: An Open Letter to the Peace Movement

http://praxeology.net/unblog03-03.htm#01

Response:

http://c4ss.org/content/23474

 

 

Marijuana Sales Exceed $1M in a single day in Colorado:

http://www.9news.com/news/article/371498/339/Pot-sales-exceed-1-million-on-first-day

 

Statue of Satan in Oklahoma

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=27966582&section=featured-story

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/01/06/satanic-temple-unveils-7-foot-goat-headed-baphomet-statue-for-oklahoma-capitol/

 

Life in the Electronic Concentration Camp: The Many Ways That You’re Being Tracked, Catalogued and Controlled

 

The Long Shadow of US Imperialism

http://reason.com/archives/2014/01/07/iraq-libya-syria-and-the-long-shadow-of

 

 

Police Abuse from Window (video)

http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2014/01/07/lawsuit-filed-omaha-incident-cops-charged-destroying-evidence-confiscating-camera/

 

Inmate turns himself in (too cold)

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-78806667/

 

Andre De Castro

eCoin Cashier (a RightClick LLC property) Becomes the first US Company to be given FinCEN Authority to transact Virtual Currency for it’s own purposes. No need to register as an MSB (Money Service Business). No money transmission regulations, nothing. We have redefined and clarified U.S. Federal guidance. Hopefully I have paved the way for many companies in the U.S. to no longer need to leave the country and now can understand how to properly develop a business process to stay within the law. To the NY Bitcoin Community, Guys I told you we could do it and we did it!! Virtual currency will take 2014 by Storm!!

 

 

Check out this episode!

PNN Live #53 Feathercoin & AltCoins Among us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STadws3_wc8

Bitcoin Rap Makes it Mainstream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZfg1Gtcg08&feature=youtu.be

 

Koinyeh West / Snoop Dog accepts BTC

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jan/03/kanye-coinye-west-bitcoin-coinye-cryptocurrency

 

Cookie Stand that Accepts Bitcoin

http://jezebel.com/these-cookie-stand-entrepreneurs-are-the-most-san-franc-1495019588?utm_campaign=socialflow_jezebel_facebook&utm_source=jezebel_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

 

Rand Paul Says Edward Snowden and James Clapper should Share Prison Cell?

http://dailycaller.com/2014/01/04/rand-paul-james-clapper-and-edward-snowden-should-share-a-prison-cell-video/

 

Ask him what he thinks about the prospects of feathercoin arbitrage across exchanges are?

Is the What do you mean by “the USD cross is coincidental”?

<KicStart42>: The market cap of Feathercoin is $12M

PNN Live #52 Best Activism of 2013 Recap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ_oy68j-60

Best of 2013:

Bitcoin Machine unveiled at Liberty Forum

 

Bradley Manning Trial

 

Edward Snowden revelations

 

“Government Shutdown”

 

Police Accountability Tour

 

Bitcoin goes mainstream

 

FSP Reaches 15,000 signers

 

Keenevention First Year

 

Robin Hood of Keene Victory

 

KAC Smoke Alarm Victory

 

ACA Obamacare disaster

 

Kokesh Arrested

 

Smoke Down Prohibitions

 

Sean’s Outpost

 

Hoodie the Homeless

 

http://www.tunedbody.com/scientists-finally-show-thoughts-can-cause-specific-molecular-changes-genes/#

 

I worked for the Drone Program

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/29/drones-us-military

 

30 mins of Oxygen

http://www.minds.com/blog/view/77395/new-injection-gives-you-30-minutes-of-oxygen-without-breathing

 

The Govt shutdown over a small reduction in its budgetary increase.

and park rangers closing open air monuments that led individuals to passing their barriers

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/27/us/politics/supreme-court-gay-marriage.html

Maybe some of the SCOTUS decisions from this year.  Was DADT repealed this year?  DADT ended Sep 20 2011

Like Salinas v. Texas where you remaining silent is now evidence against you unless you invoke your Right to remain silent.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2013/06/salinas_v_texas_right_to_remain_silent_supreme_court_right_to_remain_silent.html

NSA Intercepted Packages

http://gizmodo.com/the-nsa-actually-intercepted-packages-to-put-backdoors-1491169592

Lightbulb Loophole

 

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/12/24/a-manufacturer-found-a-loophole-around-that-incandescent-light-bulb-ban/

 

PNN Live #51 Liberty.me Launch & Apple vs Bitcoin

Direct Download Podcast Audio

“ The empires of the future are the empires of the mind. ” — Winston Churchill

PeaceNewsNow / 443-424-8347

5:06 – 5:16

Intro/catch up/talk about bitcoin party/christmas/show topics/blah

Ignore the Fed Rally

 

5:20 – 5:29, 5:33 – 5:43

Liz Reitzig

http://nourishingliberty.com/

 

5:47 – 5:58

http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2013/12/22/atlantic-city-cop-ordered-pay-250000-pocket-suspect-abused/

6:06 – 6:16

Liberty.me launch!  http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/liberty-me–2

6:20 – 6:29

Apple, Bitcoin, and Freedom

http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2013/12/22/ios-7-jailbreak-released-enables-tethering-alternative-apps-and-bitcoin/

http://peacekeeper.com

 

6:33 – 6:43

No More Meaningless Emotional Bitcoin Posts http://www.ibtimes.com/wake-bitcoin-price-crash-reddit-bans-meaningless-emotional-posts-virtual-currency-1513858

Coffee Shop in Palo Alto Accepting BTC since Summer earns $4,000+ http://www.nbcbayarea.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Bitcoin-Ready-to-Go-Mainstream__Bay-Area-236509611.html

 

6:47 – 6:59

BitcoinPHL update

Shire Free Church Donates $1,400 to City of Keene?

http://freekeene.com/2013/12/19/shire-free-church-donates-1431-to-city-of-keene/

 

Closing with Sam Gurry, Local bitcoin business owner?

 

PNN Live #50 Leo the Homeless Coder

Direct Download Podcast Audio

Skype PeaceNewsNow 443-424-8347

 

Tatiana 10:15

Liz Reitzig 10:30

Tatiana Moroz 10:15p

Bitcoin Song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRrTKrWnu4g

 

New song

 

Greensleeves

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WsPWFhUbKw&list=TLkVlq3o4F7MlKMCU3qaNpx3C8i7q0L5VH

 

Auld Lang Syne

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9nU47VKuo0&list=TLkVlq3o4F7MlKMCU3qaNpx3C8i7q0L5VH

 

Lonely Christmas Spirit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50lT3LyBu1Q

 

Lulajze Jezuniu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AKevI9preo

10:30 Liz Reitzig

Photos of Civil Rights Activists in Training

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/9-powerful-photos-of-civil-rights-activists-in-training

Rich Paul 11p

http://www.copblock.org/30084/richpaul/

 

being in jail

ACLU Video

http://rt.com/usa/aclu-nsa-santa-claus-328/

Leo the Homeless Coder

http://www.upworthy.com/one-time-a-guy-gave-a-homeless-man-a-computer-and-the-recipient-did-exactly-what-the-giver-expected

NASA: Portals are Real

http://www.alien-disclosure-group.com/#/hidden-portals-in-space/4581508022

Iran Builds Search & Rescue Drone

http://www.tasnimnews.com/English/Home/Single/223779

 

More Americans Killed by Cops than Iraq War

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/americans-killed-cops-outnumber-americans-killed-iraq-war/

 

PNN Issue of Censorship with video of gun guy

Man in jail for open container murdered by guard

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c43_1386814784

 

9 Yr Old Suspended for “Merry Christmas”

http://nolapdogmedia.com/9-year-old-suspended-for-saying-merry-christmas-to-teacher/

 

PNN #49 Rich Paul Released from Jail

Direct Download Podcast Audio

Peace News Now 5 minute show is cancelled

Rich Paul Getting Out of Jail  http://bambuser.com/v/4177257

Christmas sux

Amanda BillyRock was Arrested two nights ago – disobeying a police officer, transporting alcohol

KAC Victorious in Smoke Alarm Case

http://freekeene.com/2013/12/11/city-of-keene-loses-in-supreme-court-smoke-alarm-case-against-kac/

Robin Hooders Work for Freedom

http://www.sentinelsource.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/robin-hooders-work-for-freedom-by-joseph-mirzoeff/article_17c8adb8-e0e8-5936-8432-b688261c7c45.html

Mice Telepathically Communicate?

http://io9.com/5987567/brain+to+brain-interfaces-have-arrived-and-they-are-absolutely-mindblowing

Shop Owner Donates Bikes to Kids

http://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/business/riverton-shop-owner-donates-bikes-to-kids/article_3b6eb444-1139-56c5-9d00-ac17c80726d6.html

Warp Drive Invented

http://io9.com/5963263/how-nasa-will-build-its-very-first-warp-drive

Undercover Cops Arrest 22 Students

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/undercover-cops-arrest-22-students-2929912

Mother of 3 Shot in Head during Drug Raid

http://filmingcops.com/innocent-mother-shot-in-the-head-during-botched-drug-raid/

Environmental Demo Charged with Terrorism

http://www.koco.com/news/oklahomanews/okc/okc-protestors-slapped-with-terrorism-charges/-/11777584/23477498/-/hsyc0r/-/index.html

Will Bitcoin Will Never Be a Currency

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/12/why-bitcoin-will-never-be-a-currency-in-2-charts/282364/

AutoComplete NSA Spying Ruins Life

http://www.dailydot.com/politics/google-autocomplete-nsa-spying-ruined-life/