Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht Sentenced to Life in Prison

[trademark]

Damn. Sucks to be him.  Lived 2 years as a king and will now pay for it with the rest of his life.  My question is, why was he still running his operation from the US?  With all that money, he could have been operating in a 3rd world country and probably would've never been caught.  Even if he did, he'd be able to buy his way out of it.

Because he was dumb? Can't think of any other reason. There is a long, long history of law enforcement infiltrating illicit forums (carders etc) way before he came along. He should've been fully aware of that and taken the necessary measures.

It really doesn't sound like he lived as much of a king either. Renting house shares and sitting in coffee shops on your laptop all day doesn't strike me as living the dream.

He's a freaken idiot then.  All that money and that's the way he lives.  Guess he won't be missing out much in his new home.  

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[Gleb Gamow]

If they're going to give him life they should just kill him. He's young, he could potentially live another 50 years in prison. At $30k per year to house a federal prisoner, that judge just cost the taxpayers $1,500,000.00. I hope something bad happens to that judge for wasting all that money. Not critical bad but bad, like tonight I hope he has a really painful bowel movement that ruptures a hemorrhoid.

The judge was a woman, so if she had any children, then the hemorrhoid option is definitely in play.

Note to self: If I get arrested first for echoing QA's sentiment, don't make the authorities aware that my pseudo partner in crime is bald.  

[Gleb Gamow]

This sentence is way over the top. Life sentence without parole?

There's no hope.

Yeah, and just yesterday they gave a pedophile here 7 years probation - with no fine - and Ulbricht gets life in federal with no parole.

Well, at least the US isn't supporting countries that have their wealthy men purchase virgins from ISIS, then sent them afire while alive if they don't perform what's requested. Oh wait...

[Mr. Burns]

him being in jail is like saying weed is now legal.  but if they let him out eventually it would be like saying weed should be illegal.

[TaunSew]

Not sure how any of you thought he was going to get off - they have minimum sentences (which people rarely receive unless the crime was clearly accidental or something) and he was charged for a lot of stuff.

[BitcoinEXpress]

If they're going to give him life they should just kill him. He's young, he could potentially live another 50 years in prison. At $30k per year to house a federal prisoner, that judge just cost the taxpayers $1,500,000.00. I hope something bad happens to that judge for wasting all that money. Not critical bad but bad, like tonight I hope he has a really painful bowel movement that ruptures a hemorrhoid.

Well considering the fact he also forfeited $184 Million, I would say the US is ahead on the financial cost for housing him for the next 50 years or so.



~BCX~

[maheshmahi]

He can make appeal.
Since government is against bitcoin it is imprisoning its users and executivesas they cant stop bitcoin.

[TaunSew]

If they're going to give him life they should just kill him. He's young, he could potentially live another 50 years in prison. At $30k per year to house a federal prisoner, that judge just cost the taxpayers $1,500,000.00. I hope something bad happens to that judge for wasting all that money. Not critical bad but bad, like tonight I hope he has a really painful bowel movement that ruptures a hemorrhoid.



Well considering the fact he also forfeited $184 Million, I would say the US is ahead on the financial cost for housing him for the next 50 years or so.



~BCX~

Yeah and they auctioned it off or most of it already, haven't they?  So housing him for $1.5 million or even $5 million is a real bargain compared to how much money he made them.

[BitcoinEXpress]

If they're going to give him life they should just kill him. He's young, he could potentially live another 50 years in prison. At $30k per year to house a federal prisoner, that judge just cost the taxpayers $1,500,000.00. I hope something bad happens to that judge for wasting all that money. Not critical bad but bad, like tonight I hope he has a really painful bowel movement that ruptures a hemorrhoid.



Well considering the fact he also forfeited $184 Million, I would say the US is ahead on the financial cost for housing him for the next 50 years or so.



~BCX~

Yeah and they auctioned it off or most of it already, haven't they?  So housing him for $1.5 million or even $5 million is a real bargain compared to how much money he made them.

I guess that makes him a net contributor!

Nothing personal but DPR did this "Eyes Wide Open"

Is it excessive? maybe so but he rolled the dice and lost.

He knew the risk.



~BCX~

[PenguinFire]

It could be worst because in some countries they would have given him the death penalty.

How is death penalty worse than life in prison?

According to law, it is.  I guess it is a matter of opinion.  Some would rather have life and some would rather be dead.

[Beliathon]

According to law, it is.  I guess it is a matter of opinion.  Some would rather have life and some would rather be dead.

Is this in the same court of law where everybody swears on a book of fiction endorsed as a source of truth? Why would anyone take such an institution seriously? The bible is a bad joke, just like Amerikkkan Justice and american lawmaking.

Well considering the fact he also forfeited $184 Million, I would say the US is ahead on the financial cost for housing him for the next 50 years or so.

If he had been a congressman or other member of the Old Boys Club, the bribe to avoid this consequence would have cost 1/100th that 184 mil. We need some folks like this guy, dispensing justice to the powerful equally as they do to the meek.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3095742/SPOILER-ALERT-Winter-finally-comes-Game-Thrones-Cersei-Lannister-gets-deserves-Gift.html

[QuestionAuthority]

If they're going to give him life they should just kill him. He's young, he could potentially live another 50 years in prison. At $30k per year to house a federal prisoner, that judge just cost the taxpayers $1,500,000.00. I hope something bad happens to that judge for wasting all that money. Not critical bad but bad, like tonight I hope he has a really painful bowel movement that ruptures a hemorrhoid.

Well considering the fact he also forfeited $184 Million, I would say the US is ahead on the financial cost for housing him for the next 50 years or so.



~BCX~

They didn't get that much for the coin. I bet they didn't even recover the cost of the international investigation. If they did make money on it they will spend that now. The cost of his incarceration will hit future generations.

[Beliathon]

They didn't get that much for the coin. I bet they didn't even recover the cost of the international investigation. If they did make money on it they will spend that now.

They need their slushie machines. It's pennies from heaven, right?

The cost of his incarceration will hit future generations.

Perhaps in more than one way.

[ebliever]

It's clear from a brief look at his reported demeanor at the sentencing that he was not disputing the charges. If he was ordering killings as described in the case, that alone and quite apart from the whole Silk Road thing would be extremely serious and possibly warrant the death penalty in my book. (But probably not, as I believe his murder attempts were too abstract in his own mind. So I'd instead focus on him paying back society instead as noted below.)

On the flip side, the war on drugs is an obvious failure and his marketing efforts in that arena, while a flagrant violation of existing law, only brought together willing buyers and sellers who knew the risks. If I were the judge I'd have given him a slap on the hand on those points and sent a shot across the bow of legislatures to stop pushing for a police state.

Incidentally, the biblical position on justice is not (as many assume) "throw them in the slammer and throw away the key." Only pagans in Bible imprisoned people (Joseph/Egyptians, Peter and Paul/Romans, Samson/Philistines etc.), and God never commanded or advised imprisonment as a means of justice. The biblical principle is one of Restitution and Repentance - that one should make recompense for the harm done by one's actions, and cultivate repentance for the damage done. Given that families were shown today blaming Silk Road for providing drugs that led to the death of their family members, I think forcing Ross to confront those families and make personal restitution to them would be the start of real justice.

[RFDZ]

I hope and pray that the Judge has something worse than a rough bowel moment. I hope she gets meningitis.

[PenguinFire]

According to law, it is.  I guess it is a matter of opinion.  Some would rather have life and some would rather be dead.

Is this in the same court of law where everybody swears on a book of fiction endorsed as a source of truth? Why would anyone take such an institution seriously? The bible is a bad joke, just like Amerikkkan Justice and american lawmaking.

Well considering the fact he also forfeited $184 Million, I would say the US is ahead on the financial cost for housing him for the next 50 years or so.

If he had been a congressman or other member of the Old Boys Club, the bribe to avoid this consequence would have cost 1/100th that 184 mil. We need some folks like this guy, dispensing justice to the powerful equally as they do to the meek.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3095742/SPOILER-ALERT-Winter-finally-comes-Game-Thrones-Cersei-Lannister-gets-deserves-Gift.html

What the heck did my post have to do with the bible?  lol  ADD much? 

[PenguinFire]

I hope and pray that the Judge has something worse than a rough bowel moment. I hope she gets meningitis.

For doing her job?  Wishing ill will on someone you know nothing about other than her name is so mature.  She has a job and she did it.  It isn't an easy one and I am sure some of the decisions she has to make sticks with her in a negative way for years.

[Beliathon]

What the heck did my post have to do with the bible?  lol  ADD much?  

Find me a court of law in the USA where they don't have a bible. It's symbolic of religion's influence on our justice system, that same blind misguided morality that once burned "witches" alive is now putting this man into a dungeon for the rest of his life.

[PenguinFire]

What the heck did my post have to do with the bible?  lol  ADD much?  

Find me a court of law in the USA where they don't have a bible. It's symbolic of religion's influence on our justice system, that same blind misguided morality that once burned "witches" alive is now putting this man into a dungeon for the rest of his life.

What does that have to do with the decision of the court?  That is a whole other topic you just introduced for some odd reason that I have yet to figure out.

[Beliathon]

What the heck did my post have to do with the bible?  lol  ADD much?  

Find me a court of law in the USA where they don't have a bible. It's symbolic of religion's influence on our justice system, that same blind misguided morality that once burned "witches" alive is now putting this man into a dungeon for the rest of his life.

What does that have to do with the decision of the court?  That is a whole other topic you just introduced for some odd reason that I have yet to figure out.

The typical american Judge is old and out of touch with people in their thirties, they live in a different world than we do. Read Ross's letter pleading with the judge for mercy, it's chock full of desperate bullshit appealing to religion.

Half the reason we still have a failed war on (people) drugs going on is because at least 77% of americans have had their critical thinking skills short-circuited by religious brainwashing. Bronze age ethics doesn't work so well in the 21st century, but the morals of gods are immune to reason.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-nearly-8-in-10-americans-believe-in-angels/

These people are judges and jurors, deciding the fates of fellow americans every day, and nearly four out of five of them believe in fucking angels. I'll let that sink in.

"Belief is primarily tied to religion, with 88 percent of Christians, 95 percent of evangelical Christians and 94 percent of those who attend weekly religious services of any sort saying they believe in angels.

But belief in angels is fairly widespread even among the less religious. A majority of non-Christians think angels exist, as do more than 4 in 10 of those who never attend religious services."

These people are dangerously stupid and deadly ignorant, and they are ruining lives. Every day.