Opinions about "The Geek Group" on YouTube

[sleemanj]

One would posit because KYC/AML meant other exchanges would not take some of those people's money.

[beanflying]

While this is only speculation it is just possible he was playing with not just 'his' own money. IRS involvement - Not for profit - bit coin trading and an Entity on shakey financial ground for an extended period of time.

Random Australian info could likely be why DHS was involved in the raid assuming similar rules are also in the USA https://anz.businesschief.com/finance/2134/Australia-among-first-to-introduce-bitcoin-regulations

[EEVblog]

While this is only speculation it is just possible he was playing with not just 'his' own money. IRS involvement - Not for profit - bit coin trading and an Entity on shakey financial ground for an extended period of time.
Random Australian info could likely be why DHS was involved in the raid assuming similar rules are also in the USA https://anz.businesschief.com/finance/2134/Australia-among-first-to-introduce-bitcoin-regulations

They probably just added it to AUSTRAC requirements and the "know your customer" BS companies have to jump through.
try signing up to any crypto exchange in Australia and they want a photo of you holding up your ID and a page with your signature on it.
For example, I get the third degree from my currency conversion house every time I exchange and transfer large sums of money overseas for stock. It's a real PITA.
And if you buy precious metals at any bullion or coin dealer they have to report you for any transaction over $5k, even if you walk in with cash. Or if there are regular transactions under the $5k limit they are supposed to also flag you as well.

[EEVblog]

While this is only speculation it is just possible he was playing with not just 'his' own money. IRS involvement - Not for profit - bit coin trading and an Entity on shakey financial ground for an extended period of time.

Given that the media reports that he admits he did wrong and seems resigned to the fact he's facing prion time, it does seem like it was beyond "hey, I was just helping a few friends out, I didn't know about all these regulations, sorry I didn't didn't do it deliberately!" etc.

[Psi]

While this is only speculation it is just possible he was playing with not just 'his' own money. IRS involvement - Not for profit - bit coin trading and an Entity on shakey financial ground for an extended period of time.

Given that the media reports that he admits he did wrong and seems resigned to the fact he's facing prion time, it does seem like it was beyond "hey, I was just helping a few friends out, I didn't know about all these regulations, sorry I didn't didn't do it deliberately!" etc.

The video where he thinks he will go to prison was made only a week or two after the raid.
Seems a bit soon to have much of an idea what will happen.
I have no idea what developments have been made in the 2 months since then.

[echap]

I live local, and have donated items to them in the past.  I have met Chris in person, and he is a pretty nice guy.  He showed me around the facility and demonstrated the large Tesla coil there last fall.  Was pretty impressive actually.  It's to bad what happened, I think he has a really cool idea, and there is tons of very cool stuff there that has been donated.  I know he mentioned to me that they had a hard time paying the bills and was having a fund raising sale there then, and sell some donated items.

[justinWhite]

I have met Chris several times and I think he is a great guy.  The Geek Group AKA The National Science Institute was a great educational resource in the community.  One of the many things being taught there was a crypto-currency course - primarily bitcoin.  They would buy and sell bitcoin with anyone who walked in the door.  I do not believe they ever said no, that you have to wait until its worth more or less, so it was not for profit.  They were trying to be a resource for people learning about bitcoin and virtually everything else.  I believe that they were breaking the law in trading too much without some sort of license, but I personally don't believe there was any intent to do anything immoral or illegal.  Other things going on there: 3d printing, high power lab, video production, computer hardware and software, electronics, quad-copters, auto-mechanics, CAD, robotics, and more...  I wish I lived closer so I could have learned more there.

[luma]

This took a while but...

Geek Group leaders charged with illegal Bitcoin trade, money laundering.

This looks pretty bad for Chris.

The court documents also claim Boden tried to hire an undercover police officer to extort a client to collect a debt.

I live nearby and had several interactions with TGG and Chris.  I don't want to get too into it, but let's just say that Chris really liked to be the smartest person in the room and situated himself such that that was always the case.  If you weren't there to bow to his greatness, you weren't going to be made welcome.

edit: charges detailed here: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59692375/united-states-v-boden/

[coppercone2]

im waiting for the crime family associations at this point with these guys'

it looks like everyone in the youtube channel is involved lol

reminds me of Enron a little bit (all the structuring charges). the guy was suspicious, I remember in 2013 watching it, he was like 'oh we don't need or want money for big semiconductor/technology people'... yea.. because they wont comply with shady shit.. they could have gotten a semiconductor prototype plant going with that kind of help. There could have been a prototype fab there instead of a freaking can crusher but I guess you can't pocket the money easily when corporate accounting is involved. Maybe he was trying to bring on the steam age.

The highlights of the activity were 'how to make gas pipe threads', circumvention of security systems and crushing beer cans. I recall him saying he walked away from multi million dollar corporate infusions. I thought either that this guys lying or that he is mad dirty. green and red glasses man telling me he walked away from 5 million bucks because he can do it better when he has a can crusher in a abandoned factory..

[Rasz]

bitcoin, drugs, money laundering, and according to comments from volunteers human trafficking

https://old.reddit.com/r/grandrapids/comments/lvqr6k/geek_group_leaders_charged_with_illegal_bitcoin/

[coppercone2]

they need to disclose what that is because its a strong federal vs state issue but I find the extortion most unnerving, that is seriously bad shit, it would be better if he beat the guy up personally because crooked cops are really bad news, it undermines so many things that we rely on for proper behavior in society. once the cops are crooked you get zero trust and high levels of paranoia

[EEVblog]

bitcoin, drugs, money laundering, and according to comments from volunteers human trafficking
https://old.reddit.com/r/grandrapids/comments/lvqr6k/geek_group_leaders_charged_with_illegal_bitcoin/

Then why is he (AFAIK) only charged with ilegal bitcoin stuff?

[beanflying]

bitcoin, drugs, money laundering, and according to comments from volunteers human trafficking
https://old.reddit.com/r/grandrapids/comments/lvqr6k/geek_group_leaders_charged_with_illegal_bitcoin/

Then why is he (AFAIK) only charged with ilegal bitcoin stuff?

Because Prosecutors and Investigators don't believe everything they read on Reddit

[coppercone2]

the extortion is in the indictment, count 28
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.miwd.100639/gov.uscourts.miwd.100639.1.0.pdf

in a nutshell it looks like getting a undercover to get money from someone. there is no detail if its a accident or cop friend 

[TMM]

From the start, this seemed like a front to some shady business with a sociopath at the helm. Not surprising to find out that was indeed the case.

[luma]

Sentencing happened on Friday, Boden has been sentenced to 30 months and 3 years of parole.  News article is here and sentencing docs are here.

[luma]

Also, if there was any question as to his culpability... read an example log of conversations with undercover agents.  He believed himself to be laundering money for a cocaine dealer who was very explicit about where the proceeds came from.

The charges were all related to money laundering and adjacent crimes (structuring, etc), but the context of what Chris thought he was doing wasn't just buying and selling bitcoin, he believed himself to be offering financial services to drug dealers.

[Smokey]

That transcript is super funny. 
I like how he keeps trying to explain how bitcoin works to that undercover agent that he thought was a drug dealer.  That's a true educator right there! 

[vk3yedotcom]

Boden's Facebook page has a long apology and self-justification. https://www.facebook.com/CaptainBoden

His twitter describes his life as an 'emotional fondue' https://twitter.com/physicsduck/with_replies

His last YouTube video was only 8 days ago.

[TMM]

dudes a narcissist. That lengthy FB spiel just read as him justifying the wrong that he did with all the right (in his eyes) that he did.

[SeanB]

Darn, 2 and a half years before we get the next video from him......

[luma]

Fun follow-up: I've been talking to a local group that is trying to get another makerspace off of the ground in Grand Rapids where The Geek Group was operating.  Almost every single corporate sponsor that they have contacted has mentioned their experience with Boden as a reason they will never touch another maker space again.  Their bank has said something similar, they will not fund the project unless they can put together a cash-positive business plan that does not rely on grants, because the bank also knows that nobody is going to fund the project due to what happened with Boden.

Chris Boden has not only destroyed a functioning maker space, he has single-handedly made the entire CONCEPT of a maker space impossible to start again in this area code.  I know a lot of people here like his silly videos, but his greed has made life for every hacker in the area measurably worse.  Supporting him in any way does damage to the larger maker community and we have concrete evidence of exactly this thing happening.

[EEVblog]

I missed the Twitter post thing, here is a copy:

First off, thank you for caring and for being patient. If you’re reading this then you’re most likely in one of two groups of people. Most likely you’re one of my real friends who has stuck with me through the hardest time of my life, so thank you. Alternatively you hate me so much that even now, years later, I’m still living rent-free in your head. If that’s the case, you’re more screwed up than I am, and I consider that a win.
A lot of people have been asking me for details related to how to contact, communicate, help, or support me through my tenure in Federal Prison. I finally have the majority of the info, and the details on how to use it. So, here is your reference document on what you need to know. I’ve gotten a ton of questions through this process; this should give you the answers. If not, comment below and I’ll try to help.
The first and most important thing to understand is that as one of my friends, you’re probably an asshole. That’s ok, we understand each other. We’re all horrible people in the most fabulous of ways, but the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) absolutely does not share our sense of humor.
While you may think it’s hilarious to send me a hacksaw in a birthday cake, giant dildos, and soap on a rope, they will not find it funny. These are people who are rather passionate about rules. If you try to send me something “funny,” I will certainly never see it. You, however, can get into a ton of trouble for doing something stupid like that. They will be perfectly happy to prosecute your dumb ass and see to it that you get a cell of your own. So please, don’t send me anything but simple letters and the occasional picture of your good puppy or cool project. We’ll have a laugh when I get out. For now, no comedy please. I don’t want any more of my friends to suffer for this.
Now, simple letters and such are totally fine. To send me a letter, you’ll need to know a few things. The first of which is the actual rules (and yes, there’s a lot of them) for sending mail to a federal prisoner. Start by reading this: [url]https://www.bop.gov/inmates/communications.jsp#mail[/url]
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE READ THAT BEFORE YOU SEND ME ANYTHING!
These people are accustomed to dealing with dangerous, stupid, and often no-good-very-bad people. I can not be responsible for what happens to you if you try to be cute or creative.
The second thing you’ll need is my Federal Register Number. In the dystopian future where we all get barcodes tattooed on the back of our necks, this is that number. My personal one is 33550-509. You’ll need this to send me mail or have pretty much any interaction with me in prison.
My official mailing address is as follows.
Christopher Allan Boden 33550-509
FCI Oxford
Federal Correction Institution
Satellite Camp
PO Box 1085
Oxford, WI 53952
You have to format it EXACTLY like that. These guys are quite fussy about rules and regulations.
My life as Prisoner 33550-509 officially begins on April 12, 2022. My sentence is 30 months. That’s a little over twenty-thousand hours, or a little under a thousand nights. Round numbers, it’s about 3% of my life.
By the book, that puts my Out Date as October 12, 2024. But Prison doesn’t work that way.
That is, in fact, pretty much the one day you can absolutely guarantee I won’t be getting out. If I’m a model prisoner I may get out early. If I’m not, I could be in there for decades. There’s no way to know, and no way to control it. The BOP is going to do what the BOP wants to do. Everything is fungible and arbitrary, and that’s just how it works.
For the many people who have been curious about what life is like in Prison. Here’s a taste of it. This is the official handbook for going to Oxford. Each prison is a little different, but this will give you an idea of what I can expect.
[url]https://www.bop.gov/.../institutions/oxf/OXF_aohandbook.pdf[/url]
For extra superfun happytime reading, here’s the PREA Report.
[url]https://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/oxf/prea_oxf.pdf[/url]
Now, in the handbook you’ll note that I only get a miniscule place to keep all of my worldly possessions. So please, *don’t send me anything but simple letters*. I have a serious list of books and periodicals setup already, but I’m only allowed a few books at a time and only direct from the publisher. So please, if you want to get me something to read, comment here, and I’ll see that it gets on the list, but DO NOT just mail it to me. If you do, I likely won’t get to read it. I have a wishlist setup for reading material. If you’d like to contribute to it, you can comment with suggestions and donate on my Patreon.
*PLEASE DO NOT PUT MONEY ON MY COMMISSARY/BOOKS!*
I appreciate you, I really do. But don’t just put money on my books or the Feds will just vacuum it off. I’m paying off $75,000 in fines and I don’t want any of my supporters to have to pay that.
I have a VERY tight limit on what I can spend each month on Commissary and Communication. Anything above that and they can take that money against what I owe in fines. I sincerely appreciate your support, and it means the world to me that you care enough to want to do that. But I don’t want to see your support just get sucked up by The Man towards my fines. Second to that, DO NOT send me cash or money in any form in the mail. It will be confiscated and we both might get in trouble. If you want to help support my commissary fund you can support me on Patreon or send money to my paypal (PM me for details).
For the record, ALL THE PROCEEDS from the sales of ALL of my books (and I just released my fourth!) are going towards paying off my fines. If enough people like my books and I sell enough copies, it’s entirely possible that my fines will be totally paid off before I get released! It’s not likely, but it’s possible. So if you do want to help me on my fines, give a few of my books out as birthday presents. 😉 It helps, and we both win!
If you want to communicate with me through this, the best thing you can do is to send simple letters, send me 2-3 pictures of the projects you’re working on, etc. I can GET mail from just about anyone. However, I’m highly limited on who I can SEND mail to. Depending on which document you read from the BOP my contact list is limited to 20, 30, or 100 people. I have no idea which is accurate, but we’ll find out soon. If you’d like a chance to be on my Approved Contacts list, please send me a private message on here that includes your full name, email address, phone number, and mailing address. I’ll try to put you on the list.
If you get on my approved contacts list, you’re going to get to learn the wonderful world of Corrlinks. It’s every bit as reliable, state of the art, easy to use, and common sense as everything else related to our most wonderful prison system.
Corrlinks is how email works from Federal Prison. If you remember the days of Hotmail, it's kinda like that. Think of it like Gmail with a side of Big Brother. There’s apps for Android and Apple, and if you want to email me you’ll certainly want to get the app. The reason is, the app will alert you when you have an email from me. Otherwise you have to manually go and check on the website to see if you have email.
The BIG THING TO NOTE is that if you’re on my contacts list, you’ll get an email from the system at some point saying, “This weirdo in prison wants to talk to you, should we let him or should we tell him to piss off?”. They only send one email to check, and it can easily end up in your spam, or you can easily delete it thinking it’s just junkmail. If you do that, it totally severs all communication from me and it’s almost impossible to get a second chance. So, pay attention to what you click in that email!
There is a similar system for phone calls. If I get to call you, you get to choose. If you click the button that says to bugger off and delete me, it’s pretty much impossible for me to try again. So, be careful what you click.
I intend to spend my time writing as much as possible. I’ve got stories to tell and science to teach. My plan is to walk out of there with a book or two completed, in better physical shape, and immediately get started on building my new life and shop. I have hundreds, honestly hundreds of projects that have been waiting in storage for the past several years. Once I’m done with this giant nightmare, I can get back to work on that which actually matters.
And THAT is where you can truly help. I want to Educate, Inspire, and Entertain. I want to build a shop big enough to do some epic projects, and small enough to be manageable and profitable. I want to build a small, motivated team of about half-a-dozen people who want to help me build cool projects, and make epic videos teaching people about science and engineering.
Nothing non-profit, not even a for-serious business. Just me in a solid workshop having fun with high voltage, boats, electric vehicles, robots, lasers, and deeply inappropriate, irreverent humor.
If you support that idea, if you want to help build my future, if you want to be a part of this, then go here and get involved.
[url]https://subs.captainboden.com/[/url]
[url]https://ko-fi.com/captainboden[/url]
Because I have two years to save up to start building a real shop, and tools are expensive. There will also be video updates sent to supporters throughout my stay.
Got ideas for the new shop? Wanna help research and design it? Go get in my Discord chat here.
[url]https://discord.gg/TUdWr8J52p[/url]
I’m always interested in new ideas and there’s a ton of people there that are all about learning new stuff and working with me to accomplish some pretty amazing things together.
If you have questions about sending things, rules, policies or anything else, you can PM me until the morning of April 10th. After that, it is best to ask by going to discord and asking a mod or sending me an email (if you don’t have my email, PM me). Both of these platforms will be monitored periodically while I am gone.
Please do not try texting my phone or contacting me on Facebook Messenger, both of those will be completely shut down while I’m away.
Thank you, just for being you, for standing by me through all of this, for reading all the dopey things I write on here. You’re what makes this all worthwhile, and I appreciate you more than you’ll ever imagine.
See ya on the other side 🙂
Christopher Allan Boden, 33550-509

[Black Phoenix]

Jesus reading this thread is like watching a Train wreck happening in slow motion...

OFFTOPIC - I was too young for this thread, when it stated.

In 2013 I was a frequent member of the old FlukeCommunity.com, the old official Fluke bulletin board.

My knowledge at that time from "The Geek Group" was nill and Dave's EEVBlog was because of the 87V GSM problem.

And to show I'm not lying here's the topic I replied, thanks to the Wayback Machine, in 2010 - https://web.archive.org/web/20101225145229/http://www.flukecommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3348

See reply #6, that's me from 12 years ago.

Although I though when I saw a video of a guy from the "land down under" dressed with a white coat and a tinfoil hat to be strange for me at the time, this thread show that Dave didn't change anything since then to now, for the good.

The reality is that the time were both TGG and EEVBlog were being shown here it was a time were YouTube was still under the golden times, way before the 2017 Adpocalypse - https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/YouTube_Adpocalypse.

A time were most of the channels we now take for granted were in their infancy and trying to find their place.

Some fail, some did had success. TGG had issues but one of the main ones would be the personality of the owner itself, that is patented here.

[EEVblog]

Although I though when I saw a video of a guy from the "land down under" dressed with a white coat and a tinfoil hat to be strange for me at the time, this thread show that Dave didn't change anything since then to now, for the good.

Yeah, I'm boring, I don't change much. The hair got grey and the eyesight got worse, but that's about it.