Richard Chapman Bates

Richard Chapman Bates testified for the government on Day 6 that Ross Ulbricht told him in 2011 that he had created and was running Silk Road. A software engineer and Ulbricht's college friend, Bates described giving programming help before learning the project's purpose around late February or early March 2011, then continuing to help afterward. He explained chats about troubleshooting the site, avoiding explicit references to Silk Road, and preventing Internet connections from being traced to either man.

Bates said his technical assistance continued into summer 2011, but denied having server administrative access and described declining an administrator offer. He interpreted October 2011 chats as showing that Ulbricht still ran Silk Road and received transaction commissions. He also recounted Ulbricht saying on November 11, 2011 that he had already sold the site. Bates said he believed that claim and interpreted a February 2013 chat as acknowledging that Ulbricht was no longer working on Silk Road. The court sustained an objection when Bates assumed Ulbricht would have told him if he stopped working on it.

Bates admitted buying drugs through Silk Road and lying to investigators after Ulbricht's arrest. He described a nonprosecution agreement covering his technical assistance, work on a proposed bitcoin exchange, and personal drug purchases. He said the exchange began as a legitimate project, but that he and Ulbricht later discussed possibly using it to launder money. It never became operational during his involvement.

On cross-examination, Joshua Dratel challenged Bates's prior accounts and cooperation incentives, and emphasized reduced contact after 2011 and statements suggesting Ulbricht had left Silk Road. Bates maintained that he had disclosed the unfinished exchange to investigators. He acknowledged briefly reviewing and deleting Silk Road code, partly to avoid retaining material connecting him to the site, and providing no computers to investigators. The court allowed his interview report to be used for impeachment, not substantive evidence. Bates was excused without further government examination.