Witness Says He Made $60,000 A Month Selling Heroin Online Through Silk Road

Silk Road was an online black market for all kinds of contraband goods. The FBI shut it down in October 2013.

Today in a federal court in Manhattan, one former Silk Road user says he made $60,000 to $70,000 per month dealing heroin through the site, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The alleged mastermind of Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, who used the name Dread Pirate Roberts, is facing charges that could land him in prison for life.

During Roberts' trial today, Michael Duch testified about how he used Silk Road to sell heroin to people across the U.S.

Duch reportedly testified that he first bought heroin off Silk Road in 2012, then switched to dealing when his habit got too expensive. He bought the drug from a street dealer, doubled the price, then sent between 400 and 600 bags per day across the eastern US, the report says.

He even advertised same-day shipping on his site, as many heroin users get sick from withdrawal, the Journal reports. During the trial, screenshotted messages from some of these users were shown, such as "I am throwing up, the worst of the worst withdrawal symptoms."

Duch agreed to cooperate in Ulbricht's trial after being arrested at a post office where he was preparing to ship heroin. However, he says he did not have direct contact with Ulbricht.