Ross William Ulbricht is accused of murder-for-hire, with the Silk Road trial finally starting for a San Francisco man charged with operating an Internet black market where drugs were traded.
US district judge overruled defense objections, concluding that prosecutors could provide evidence about 6 murder plots into the trial. In respond, prosecutors claim that Ulbricht operated an underground online portal known as Silk Road, where over 100,000 customers purchased hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, heroin and other drugs. Ross Ulbricht has pleaded not guilty and denies that he was known as “Dread Pirate Roberts” online.
The government alleges that Ross Ulbricht tried to protect his illegal business by asking others to kill people who posed a threat to the Silk Road. The judge admitted that the evidence was prejudicial to the defendant and injects an element of violence into the case, but that prejudicial effect was reduced by the government’s stipulation that no actual murders happened.
In the meantime, the judge added that the charges in the case were very serious, because Ross Ulbricht was charged not with just taking part in drug distribution conspiracy, but with creating and running an Internet criminal entity of a huge scale, which could bring him tens of millions of dollars in fees. This means that evidence that Ross was trying to protect this sprawling business by soliciting murders-for-hire is therefore not unduly prejudicial.
Silk Road operator was arrested by FBI more than a year ago at a public library, where agents seized his computer. According to the government, Ross launched an online black market four years ago, claiming that he wanted to design a place for people to buy anything anonymously. The government pointed out that a spreadsheet found on Ulbricht’s computer listed “sr inc” as an asset worth $104 million.
Ross William Ulbricht was charged in Manhattan with conspiring to commit drugs trafficking, as well as with conspiring to commit computer hacking and money laundering. The prosecution claims that this scheme has been working for two and a half years. Ulbricht is also charged in federal court in Baltimore.
The industry observers admit that if convicted in both cases, Ross could face up to life sentence.
US district judge overruled defense objections, concluding that prosecutors could provide evidence about 6 murder plots into the trial. In respond, prosecutors claim that Ulbricht operated an underground online portal known as Silk Road, where over 100,000 customers purchased hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, heroin and other drugs. Ross Ulbricht has pleaded not guilty and denies that he was known as “Dread Pirate Roberts” online.
The government alleges that Ross Ulbricht tried to protect his illegal business by asking others to kill people who posed a threat to the Silk Road. The judge admitted that the evidence was prejudicial to the defendant and injects an element of violence into the case, but that prejudicial effect was reduced by the government’s stipulation that no actual murders happened.
In the meantime, the judge added that the charges in the case were very serious, because Ross Ulbricht was charged not with just taking part in drug distribution conspiracy, but with creating and running an Internet criminal entity of a huge scale, which could bring him tens of millions of dollars in fees. This means that evidence that Ross was trying to protect this sprawling business by soliciting murders-for-hire is therefore not unduly prejudicial.
Silk Road operator was arrested by FBI more than a year ago at a public library, where agents seized his computer. According to the government, Ross launched an online black market four years ago, claiming that he wanted to design a place for people to buy anything anonymously. The government pointed out that a spreadsheet found on Ulbricht’s computer listed “sr inc” as an asset worth $104 million.
Ross William Ulbricht was charged in Manhattan with conspiring to commit drugs trafficking, as well as with conspiring to commit computer hacking and money laundering. The prosecution claims that this scheme has been working for two and a half years. Ulbricht is also charged in federal court in Baltimore.
The industry observers admit that if convicted in both cases, Ross could face up to life sentence.
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