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Update: At the 10th of June 2015 – Steven was sentenced to a lengthy Jail term along with 15K Euro fine, if you want to help feel free to donate to him via this address: 12CogZNo4CFLZ6ViMZL5NcrwBA5svX
Utopia was one of the markets with the shortest lifespan, only one week before its founders, former staff member of BlackMarketReloaded were raided, arrested and sentenced to lengthy jail terms. Today for the first time, we are happy to publish an interview with one of the mods of BMR who was also the developer of Utopia – Steven Ruijter AKA “CosaNostra” who was recently released after spending 1 year in prison, along with some more info from the legal documents of this case, presented here publicly for the first time.
Spoiler: Nobody got something even remotely close to life without parole.
Who are you and whats your relation to BMR / Utopia?
My real name is Steven Ruijter, I was a user under the nickname CosaNostra.
What was your role on BMR?
CosaNostra was a shared account like any mod account on BMR, it was not my personal account it was an account were i had access to.
BMR was kinda smart designed on the background, to be honest there were no roles defined. A moderator is a moderator.
A gun seized during the raids on the BMR / Utopia team.
Do you have any idea what happened with Backopy (BlackMarketReloaded Admin)? Can we safely assume that the whole seized in Iran part was fake?
I don’t know how backopy is doing at this moment. The judges asked me the same question, I told them he is doing fine… That’s kinda based on no thing , but i think he is really doing fine preparing for the next steps. Hope to hear from him in the future. I was jailed so didn’t notice the takedown of the BMR forum.. Why should anyone take down an discussion forum nothing going on there, but some east European country are retarded so its plausible.
From the time when BMR forums were used as a backup forums after The Takedown of Silk Road 1
Can you give us the full background of Utopia creation? (Why? By who, which mods? etc…) Did Backopy had any role there?
I and another PHP programmer were the developers of Utopia. Backopy was an admin on the utopia forum because we defined him as admin he had no role whatsoever.
LeContog has shown to have intensive telephone contacts with Backopy, these talks were not intercepted.
What was you role in the creation / Running of Utopia?
I was the creator.
What was the background of the Utopia bust, We remember that the markets lasted around 1 week only before getting busted, what really happened there?
LeContog was busted , he was observed for 2 months by the Police. They found us while following him. Ruud was also busted they found LeContog following him to LeContog. So my advise is never meet in real life and not even tell your best friends you’re surfing on the darknet.
Images from police surveillance after BMR admin Bjorn Christopher Rösinger Aka “LeContog”
What was the charges / sentences against you and the other people in Utopia?
This is a very big case in the Netherlands. I was sentenced for 3 year but in higher courtroom they gave a RuudNL mod on BMR has 5 years LeContog is in the Netherlands he has 6 years. In the Netherlands they will be free in 2 years. RuudNL is almost free. So don’t be shocked by the jail times they are fictif to shock others.
Rudolf Jansen Aka “RuudNL”
What are you doing today?
I’m running a Cannabis apotheca . Only medicinal Cannabis which is high in Cannabidiol (CDD). Helping people to get rid of their symptoms were the regular medication failed.
What made you want to come forward and interview about this?
I think the people have the right to know what is going on behind the scenes..
Have you been following the Dark Net Markets scene since your bust (or release), what do you think about the things that have changes since than?
I’m not allowed to be on TOR lol the judge has me forbidden to go on the TOR network so i maybe will listen to him.. or not… Weird Rule.
As it shows in the document you were planning on launching a DarkNet Market called Agora…?
LeContog came up with that name but it was already an upcomin market.. So he decided else.
How did they find the server?
There were 3 servers , they found them by Jeroen Teeninga, another programmer. It took them 10 days to find the servers we kept our mouth shut LeContog talked to the German Recherche.
What was you sentenced for?
Me; Producing Dimethyltraptamine (*DMT), selling weapons and selling drug. Drug for own use is legal in the Netherlands.
How did they learn about your real identity?
They found me by RuudNL telephone taps. They infiltrated Utopia which was not my site i just got paid for building it , i did i for the money. Only the programmers knew the server locations.
Thanks Steven for this interview.
Background about Utopia bust and BMR:
- The Utopia Bust Details – Prosecution Announcement
- BMR Based Market: Utopia Market
- Utopia Marketplace Seized by Dutch Police – 5 Arrested
- Black Market Reloaded Hacked – Around $200,000 Stolen
- BMR Is Shutting Down!
Most trustable marketplace ever!
By this you mean BMR i assume
Yes BMR !! Utopia staff was BMR???? OR did i get it wrong..
Yes Utopia staff were BMR 😉
How did you get this information??????
donated 0.5 BTC for cosanostra