[varyouga]

Interesting to see how this would be prosecuted.

They were essentially just selling strings of text to willing buyers and there was no real “money” or objects exchanged in return.

If they lose, it sets the precedent that ANYTHING that someone out there considers to have value is subject to the identical controls that government cash is. Selling on ebay or selling texts to people could then be equal to money laundering if you don't follow banking regulations in every transaction.

[Theoria]

They were taking 'cash' from the 'drug' dealers. In return, they sold them bitcoins.

For all the support of bitcoin, they do love cash.

[Errant]

Interesting Indeed. This will send shock waves through the Bitcoin community, unless actual “real money” laundering or conspiracy laws were broken.

[tonyinv]

We are already past that point. Bartering for products and services between businesses or businesses and customers is already considered taxable income by the IRS.

The only reason they haven’t gone after individual bartering is because there is no way to do it. I’m sure they (and the NSA) are working on it though.

With every drop of the statist’s hammer we get closer to the point where the people realize that we are ALREADY in a civil war and have always been.