Rizler sentencing documents released

This just in from SpamSuite: Christopher Smith, aka Rizler was sentenced to 30 years last thursday, according to the Mineapolis Star Tribune. Today, the actual sentencing document went online at SpamSuite.

The 30 year sentence turns out to be the longest of several different sentences which will be served concurrently. The grand total for all charges came to 74 years. The two big sentences were 20 years for money laundering and 30 years for "Continuing Criminal Enterprise". The online drug-dealing sentences were five years each. He'll be at the maximum security prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Forfeitures came to over $24 million.

I don't believe he's yet gone on trial for trying to have a witness killed. That should be interesting.

Rizler gets 30 years in the slammer

Drug spammer Christopher William Smith, also known as "Rizler" was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his illegal online drug-selling business. The long sentence was partly in response to Smith's flagrant defiance of judicial orders, and the death threats he made against a witness.

These details, and many more, are covered in today's Mineapolis Star Tribune.

Rizler documents on line

Last November, Christopher William Smith, known as "Rizler" was convicted of running an illegal online drug operation.

Today, SpamSuite placed the legal documents on-line for all to read. Highlights include Smith's request for a new trial, the detention order placing him in solitary with limited visitation rights, the sentencing document that lists Smith's long career as a scammer.

Long before Christopher Smith established his illegal online pharmacy, he was already an experienced Internet scam artist. Beginning at least in the 1990s, when he was in his teens, and continuing well into his 20s, Smith sold a wide variety of dubious if not outright fraudulent products through large-scale unsolicited email (spam) campaigns. The products Smith spammed included human growth hormones, penis enlargement pills, “phermone” concentrate, and an online gambling casino (in which winners were not paid their winnings). Smith also set up a fake escrow service to receive proceeds from the purported sales of Dell laptops and plasma TVs. Customers who paid Smith never received any product.

On November 20, 2002, one of the victims of his scams, Time Warner, obtained a permanent injunction against Smith, his business at the time, Rizler, Inc., and others from the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota (Case No. 0:01cv1077 (DDA/FLN)), enjoining them from selling cable TV descramblers which illegally stole cable signals.

While there were very few laws governing spam email campaigns until the CAN-SPAM act was passed in late 2003, Smith nonetheless engaged in a wide-variety of illegal activity surrounding his spamming endeavors. For example, in addition to defrauding customers out of their money as discussed above, Smith stole email accounts and used computer programs to obtain customer account information and passwords. He also set up fake email accounts using stolen credit numbers, and in turn used those fake email accounts to spread his spam.

Other scary information: Smith took in on the order of $24 million, most of which he was able to hide from authorities. He paid $1.1 million in cash for a house. The techniques he used to illegally communicate with his associates from jail are also fascinating. The death threats are a little scary.

Enjoy your weekend everybody.

Christopher William Smith convicted in online drug case

Did you all have a good Thanksgiving vacation? I know I did, especially after coming home to see this:

Spammer Christopher William Smith, aka "Rizler" has been convicted of illegally selling drugs via the internet and now faces a mandatory 20-year prison sentence. Smith's accountant, Bruce Lieberman and his attorney, Daniel Adkins, were both acquitted.

Witness tampering charges stemming from his threat to kill a witness are still pending.

Pharmacy spammer plots to kill witness

The Associated Press reports that Christopher William Smith, AKA Rizler, in jail on drug and other charges has now also been charged with plotting to intimidate or kill a witness. For the full story, see Former Internet pharmacy owner faces new felony charges