Part 7/11:
In essence, Ulbricht’s "hitmen" were either scams or misrepresentations, and no actual murders ever occurred—yet the threat of violence became an element of his reputation, used to control or intimidate.
The Trial of Ross Ulbricht: A Controversial Conviction
Ulbricht’s arrest in 2013 was swift. Court documents reveal that he was caught with his computer open at the San Francisco Public Library after undercover agents diverted his attention, seizing a diary detailing the creation of Silk Road. His defense claimed that the pseudonym "Dread Pirate Roberts" was a shared handle among multiple actors, not solely him, and argued that the marketplace was a social experiment, not a criminal enterprise.