Silk Road Founder Sentenced to Life

8 years ago
Ross Ulbricht
16:00
08 Jun

Ross Ulbricht believed that Silk Road website was a way to create free world without restrictions. He had a dream to create the world where people can make their own choices and have privacy and anonymity (or so he claimed). However his dreams quickly became one horrible nightmare as he ended up in prison for operating online drug emporium. Last week, mastermind behind Silk Road was sentenced to life in prison without parole on five non-violent counts.

Judge Katherine Forrest, who said that Ross is no better person than any other drug dealer, ordered Ross to serve five sentences, including two for life. Judge Forrest certainly faced a tough decision as she spent more than 100 hours grappling with the sentence. Her decision was to give Ulbricht the harshest punishment allowed under the law, adding that Silk Road was terribly destructive.

Before sentencing, mastermind behind the drug emporium took a stand and said that he is a changed man. He asked the judge to give him a second chance claiming that he didn’t create Silk Road because of a greed as the government believes. Ulbricht said that he only wanted a world where people can make choices in their own lives, admitting that Silk Road did later become a place where addicts could satisfy their addictions.

Two parents whose children died from a drug overdose and who used Silk Road to feed their addiction, also gave statements about their losses before sentencing. Their statements were emotional as they were talking how drug bought on the Silk Road ruined their children’s lives. Grieving father was calling for the harshest sentence, claiming that Ross only cared about Bitcoins.

I know you must take away my middle years but please, leave me my old age. Ulbricht appealing to Judge Forrest;

While parents were talking about their losses, Ulbricht broke down in tears and he even had photographs of the victims on him. However, even though Ulbricht displayed remorse for his mistakes, Judge Forrest gave him the harshest sentence which Ulbricht’s lawyer described as unjust and unreasonable. A week after his sentencing, his defense filed the appeal at the US Federal Court in New York.

Silk Road was once largest dark web market place for selling drugs, weapons and other illegal services. Known as ‘Dread Pirate Roberts’ Ross Ulbricht founded his website in February 2011. It was illegal and risky but customers felt safe and adored the fact that they could buy drugs online without being caught.

On October 2, 2013, FBI entered the San Francisco public library and found Ross in the science fiction section. He was working on his laptop, and as soon as he entered the passwords police seized his machine and marched him out.

Ulbricht defense is now preparing for the one last fight but if appeal is not successful, Ulbricht will have to spend the rest of his life in prison.


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Ines is a Journalism student with many interests, poker being one of these. Her passion to learn and develop her horizons make her a valuable contributor to the site's content.Read more

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