According to latest reports, Brian Farrell, a support manager and second-in-command on Silk Road 2.0 (SR2) – that launched when the original Ross Ulbricht’s Silk Road was seized in 2013, has been sentenced to 8 years in prison.

Court documents reveal that Farrell, 28, used the moniker “DoctorClu” and admitted that he was the right-hand of “Defcon” – the moniker used by Blake Benthall, the chief operator of SR2. He said that although he did not have complete access to SR2, he could change passwords on the site. Among other things, he helped maintain the site, including approving and suspending vendors, providing technical support and served as a forum moderator. Farrell not only admitted to be serving as an informal spokesperson for Defcon, but also accepted that he purchased drugs on the site for personal use.

Silk Road 2.0 had a user-friendly interface with links to various categories of items for sale on the site, including drugs, stolen property, malicious software and computer equipment. Users paid for their purchases on the site using Bitcoin. According to the document, vendors were allowed to transfer bitcoin proceeds anonymously from their SR2 accounts to the accounts not associated with SR2.

CryptoCoinsNews reported that Farrell was sentenced to 8 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty in March 2016 to the lesser-included offense on the same crime that carries a minimum sentence of 5 years. However, the sentencing for 8 years is the same prison sentence sought by the government prosecutors.

“This case, more than others the Court typically sees, presents an important case for general deterrence. The Silk Road model presents a new threat to public safety and health. The website expands the serious drug market to all reaches of the country, and indeed the world. The website reaches those who are too apprehensive to conduct a deal on the street, or those, say in rural areas, who may not have a direct drug supplier. This new frontier is dangerous – and a clear message needs to be sent that those who peddle their poison on the internet – face serious penalties”, the document read.