The verdict is in: Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht guilty on all charges

[Shawn Knight]

Following a three-week trial, jurors in the Silk Road case have found Ross Ulbricht guilty on all charges. He is facing up to life in prison.

Ulbricht was arrested in October 2013 under the suspicion that he was Dread Pirate Roberts, the online moniker associated with the creation of online drug marketplace Silk Road.

The defense team, led by Joshua Dratel, admitted up front at Ulbricht had created the site as an economic experiment but handed over ownership to others after just a few months. Dratel claimed that Ulbricht was brought back into the mix late in the game to serve as a fall man.

At one point, Dratel suggested that former Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpeles could have been behind the Dread Pirate Roberts handle. Much of the testimony to support that theory, however, ended up being barred as immaterial speculation and hearsay.

What’s more, two of the defense’s technical witnesses weren’t allowed to testify for procedural reasons. That pretty much took the wind out of Ulbricht’s sails and eliminated any chance he had of a solid strategy.

The prosecution, meanwhile, presented a mound of evidence that contradicted much of what Dratel had to say. Chat logs, a trail of Bitcoins, accounting spreadsheets, a personal diary, forum posts, private messages, e-mails and even testimony from a friend that claimed Ulbricht admitted to him that he ran the site all weighed heavy on the jury’s decision.

After deliberating for less than four hours, they’d come to the conclusion that Ulbricht was guilty of charges that include money laundering conspiracy, trafficking drugs on the Internet, running a continuing criminal enterprise, computer hacking conspiracy and narcotics-trafficking conspiracy.

A separate trial on charges including attempted commission of a murder-for-hire is still ongoing in Baltimore.

Ulbricht is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/59645-verdict-silk-road-founder-ross-ulbricht-guilty-all.html

 

[cliffordcooley]

Of course he is! The courts needed a fall guy regardless of his actual guilt. They will pin it on someone whether they have the right guy or not. This news was foreseen the day he was arrested. His day in court was a big waste of tax payers money.

 

[VitalyT]

You would think that for an entrepreneurial man like this three weeks should have been enough to acquire a little soap and a rope, but I guess dignity is just overrated in the modern world...

 

[sdms96825]

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave...when first we practice to deceive.”

Sir Walter Scott

 

[Guest]

Ha ha.

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

Of course he is! The courts needed a fall guy regardless of his actual guilt. They will pin it on someone whether they have the right guy or not. This news was foreseen the day he was arrested. His day in court was a big waste of tax payers money.

The guy who started the biggest online drug trafficking site ever just got convicted of starting the biggest drug trafficking site ever, and you question it because the 'courts needed a fall guy'? Did you catch this part...

The defense team, led by Joshua Dratel, admitted up front at Ulbricht had created the site

I can't say I would have convicted him if I were on the jury, but it seems pretty straightforward. And I do agree it was probably a waste of taxpayer dollars, but even confessed criminals deserve their day in court.

 

[Ghost410]

This was a full blown trial with full representation in one of the fairest systems in the world. In spite the article's author trying to spin a bit on the side of Ulbricht (speculation was tossed out (huge surprise) and some tech testimony denied for reasons not explored in the article but implying somehow that it's somehow not right) it's pretty clear this guy had his day in court. There were money trails and logs and first person testimony.

And yet, we get the classic the classic 'he was set up because the Government needs a fall guy' without any justification or insight to the process that was followed. Clueless.

He is in jail because he, quite intentionally, broke many laws and was caught. The world will be a better place in his absence.

 

[Guest]

Hey ghost410 looks like the world is already better without your presence ... you know since you're so spooky.....that comment mentioning the world will be better is a pretty far-fetch little teenage comment ... that is considering you look at world news? Ok. Anyways, you will see Cannabis dispensaries start doing the online thing. Yes, I know SR was more than just cannabis which I believe needs some jailtime but not life in person for being a little ahead of his time.
We need to really nurture the Intelligence of some of these gifted people and get them to sublimate Negs=Positives. In all honestly, he could of tweek'd the whole product set, throw in a difference business model and roll out a complete difference structure of solutions.

 

[davislane1]

Crime pays. Just ask his legal team.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Of course he is! The courts needed a fall guy regardless of his actual guilt. They will pin it on someone whether they have the right guy or not. This news was foreseen the day he was arrested. His day in court was a big waste of tax payers money.

Yes he's a patsy but he's the right patsy. He was the one who started up the site and he knew exactly what the implications would be if he ever got nabbed. The thing is he thought he was far too smart to be caught.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

He could face a life sentence. I don't know what state he was convicted in but if he gets life then life should mean life.

 

[Ghost410]

Dear Guest.. the issue with drug dealers at this level is that they have chosen to be major criminals. It has nothing at all to do with whether or not marijuana should be legalized or what the future holds for the myriad of drugs that were for sale on Silk Road.