The fact that you got the money he gave to you stolen doesn't make it right for you to refuse to pay him back. Unless you made it clear to him that he had some risk of losing the money, you are obligated to pay him back. The fact that the money was stolen from you is immaterial. You can only make the case that he was risking his money as an investor in the stock market would if you informed him of that risk. I'm willing to guess that you did not do that.
You should give him the money he is owed. It is YOU who took HIS money and failed to live up to your obligations. He should get the money refunded.
I supposedly brought 5 grams of ketamine from someone back in January. This costed me $215 including payment fees and shipping. I learn 5 or 6 weeks later that the guy's supply had dried up. For the next few months, he kept assuring me that he'd get the ketamine for me. That never happened. I agreed about a month ago to accept a gram of 2c-b instead. I still haven't got that. I emailed him maybe two weeks ago. He emailed back, and again asked for my damn mailing address, which he has been given three times now. I don't know if I'll ever see anything from him. Either he is sincere when he says he is about to send the product substitution, or he is a rotten, good for nothing scammer who is stringing me along because he's afraid that I might reveal his scam once I see him for what he really is. I can tell you, $215 is a lot of money to me. I rarely have that kind of money to just buy what I want with.
What you are doing is pretty much the same thing that it seems may have happened to me. I can tell you, it doesn't feel good. You should know that, having been put through that by the guy who stole the money.
Most people are willing and able to understand if a co worker or friend is unable to repay a loan immediately due to either having money stolen or experiencing some other financial troubles. I don't even know if you are having a hard time financially. I'm just assuming you might be since you seem to have a problem with paying the money back. If you literally don't have the money right now, then let the guy know. Try to work something out, a payment plan or loan extension.
If you took someone's money, promising drugs or anything else in return and you are unable to meet that obligation, then at least give a god damn refund. If you fail to do that, you are a low life scammer. I would be severely pissed off if you did this to me, and I would not let it go until I got what was rightfully mine.
I have never put myself in that exact situation.
I do however owe someone a bottle of provigil pills. They gave me 2 grams of ketamine with the agreement that they'd get the pills once they are refilled. In the unlikely event that I can't meet my obligation, like because the doctor decides not to fill the pills anymore, I will either find and buy the pills somewhere else or give the dude more than a fair price in money for what I was given.
Only a real scumbag loser would steal someone else's money like that. I have no respect for scammers or thieves. I would try to make sure you paid one way or another if it was my money. I wouldn't hurt anyone, but I might end up in the mood to do some serious property damage.
If you are having financial difficulties, at least try to explain your situation to the guy. Maybe he'd give you an extension, or let you pay of your debt in several smaller installments. I know if I was owed money, I'd try to work with anyone who showed me the courtesy of being up front and honest about the situation. I'd probably just ask that they pay me a small amount each month or something like that. Hell, I might give them an extension before starting to pay if they legitimately needed it.
If you did me the way it seems you are doing this guy, then I would make sure you paid. Either you could work something out with me like a decent human being, or you'd end up paying by having your valuables destroyed or stolen.
If this guy you are talking about is just refusing to work with you to work out a payment plan or extension you can both live with and you are having financial troubles, then I'd feel more sympathetic for you. It still wouldn't make you in the right to keep the money.
In my book, you are nothing but low life scum if you fail to pay that money back. I sure as hell wouldn't want to do any kind of business with you. Nor would a associate with you in any way, knowing that you are a thief. You are just as much a thief as the guy who stole the money, as far as I am concerned.
And I'll say it again: If you steal from or scam me, you better be somewhere far away and/or where I can't find you. Given the chance, I might do property damage and/or theft far in excess of what I'm owed.
I guess my opinion may be worded a bit harshly. Maybe it's because I have likely been scammed out of $215.
As far as I have seen, there was no mention of how familiar this person was with either drug dealing or drugs in general. Perhaps if he knows a lot about how things work he should be more willing to take the loss. If this is someone who has less knowledge of these things, then it doesn't change how I feel about the situation one bit.
And as I said earlier: If he was supposed to take the loss in a case like this, he should have been informed. Even knowing what I know, I'd be pissed if someone did this to me without making it clear that I am at risk of losing the money. I might otherwise have the wrong idea, either that the money is safe or that you are guaranteeing that I'll get it back. If someone tells me I'll get my money back at a certain time and never mentions any risk of losing it, the thought that I wont get it back may not even enter my mind if the words come from someone I trust.