Jury convicts man who tried to buy ricin on Darknet marketplace

A jury convicted a 22-year-old New York man named Cheng Le yesterday of attempting to buy the deadly poison ricin on a darknet marketplace called Evolution, according to Reuters. Reaching its verdict yesterday afternoon after a four-day trial, the jury found Le guilty of attempting to possess a biological toxin for use as a weapon, and two other counts. He faces up to life in prison.

Le, operating online under the moniker "WhenInDoubt," allegedly tried to buy the toxin from a vendor who was actually an FBI agent. Asked about his plans, Le said he planned to sell the ricin as "simple and easy death pills," according to prosecutors. The FBI sent him fake ricin, along with castor bean seeds, which are used to make the poison.

Le's lawyer argued there was no proof that he was the one who actually made the ricin purchase, but the jury disagreed.