Why would you need to create parallel construction when the process of finding out Ulbricht's identity was painstakingly simple after basic utilizing basic OSINT?
He posted stupid things in very public and monitored places and it only took a little research in the right places to put the pieces together. The economics of the parallel construction theory are simply untenable. Anyone can search for keywords on Shroomery and other forums. It's grunt work and loads easier than actual hacking.
OSINT is a simple process, it just takes time. In hindsight the red flags were obvious but you don't just immediately know where to look when investigating or what to look for.
Your argument doesn't hold water because if parallel construction is so much easier then why did it take them 2.5 years?
I don't think it was easy to find him at all. Parallel construction is also not easy, they have to figure out how to unmask the server through whatever 0day they choose, then they have to issue NSL or, more likely, get diplomatic assistance to clone the server's hard drives.
Do you know how long it takes to get another country to cooperate with an investigation, even if you're buddy-buddy with the country?
All I can say is that the information surrounding the investigation, the case, the court proceedings, all of the evidence, is largely publicly available and instead of making guesses as to the legitimacy of the ostensible reasons for Ulbricht's capture, you can do what I've done and read up on all of it. There's nothing I can say or do to convince you if your attitude is such, and only direct knowledge of the case will satisfy you.
