Ross William Ulbricht, known as the “Dread Pirate Roberts,” created and operated the Silk Road, a darknet marketplace for illegal goods, from 2011 until its closure in 2013.
Arrested in October 2013, he was convicted in 2015 on multiple charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering, receiving a life sentence without parole.
On January 21, 2025, President Donald Trump granted Ulbricht a full pardon, fulfilling a campaign promise to his Libertarian supporters and criticizing the prosecution as government overreach.
Siblings
Ross has two siblings, half-brother, Travis Ulbricht and sister Calla.
Travis who described him as “exceptionally bright” and expressed shock at his involvement in illegal activities.
Travis mentioned that he had met with Ross shortly before his arrest and was unaware of his online operations.
Ross’ sister named Calla has been vocal about the impact of his arrest and conviction on their family, expressing her feelings during various interviews and events, such as the Free Ross-A-Thon.
Calla has highlighted the emotional toll that the legal battles and his life sentence have taken on their family, advocating for his release and sharing her perspective on his character and the situation surrounding his case.
Silk Road
Ulbricht founded Silk Road in January 2011 as an anonymous marketplace on the dark web, driven by his vision of free trade.
He believed in libertarian principles, particularly the idea that individuals should have the freedom to choose what they buy and sell without government interference.
The website quickly gained traction, operating on the Tor network, which anonymized users’ identities and locations, making it difficult for law enforcement to trace activities.
Silk Road allowed users to list products for sale, primarily illegal drugs, but also included items like counterfeit documents and hacking services.
Transactions were conducted using Bitcoin, providing an additional layer of anonymity.
The marketplace featured a feedback system similar to eBay, where buyers could rate sellers, helping to build trust within the community and encouraging quality control among vendors.
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By 2013, Silk Road had thousands of registered users and facilitated millions of dollars in transactions.
It became infamous as a symbol of the dark web’s potential for illicit trade and attracted significant media attention, which raised public awareness about the implications for law enforcement and society at large.
Arrest and imprisonment
The FBI and other agencies began investigating Silk Road in 2012, employing various methods to track him down, including monitoring online forums and analyzing Bitcoin transactions.
Investigators identified Ulbricht through digital footprints, such as his use of his real name in online discussions and his connection to the site’s server.
On October 1, 2013, he was arrested at a public library in San Francisco while logged into Silk Road, providing law enforcement with direct evidence of his involvement in its operation.
Following his arrest, authorities seized approximately $3.6 million worth of Bitcoin from his accounts and shut down the Silk Road website.
In February 2015, Ulbricht was convicted on seven charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit computer hacking, and conspiracy to commit drug trafficking.
In May 2015, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Pardon
On January 21, 2025, President Trump announced that he had granted a full and unconditional pardon to Ulbricht.
In his announcement on Truth Social, Trump criticized the prosecution as excessive and referred to those involved as “scum,” alleging they were part of a broader effort to weaponize government against him.
Trump’s pardon fulfills a promise made during his campaign, where he vowed to commute Ulbricht’s sentence if elected.
“I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross.
“The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
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