Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht Sentenced to Life in Prison

[QuestionAuthority]

Right.  He goes to jail.  He goes directly to jail.  He does not pass go, he does not collect 200 bitcoins. 

And good fucking riddance. 

I do sort of feel bad for the guy.  Federal prisons in the US are harsher than some third-world prisons, and the treatment of prisoners is sometimes unconstitutionally harsh.  But that's a different issue.

EVERYBODY is better off with him in jail. Consider that Silk Road was not just drugs.  It was also arms deals that contributed to gang warfare, religious jihad, and criminal murder.  It was also extortion payments, slave sales to and by pimps including sales of underage girls for use as prostitutes, and transfers of money to jihadists and other damned murderers. 

This was all going on through his website, as well as him putting out a murder-for-hire contract?  He is exactly the sort of person that the nation has the right and duty to separate from society for the sake of the welfare of all its citizens. 

As far as Bitcoin is concerned, these are growing pains.  Give the Lions a bit of time to adjust to the new technology, and you're going to see crooks getting busted absolutely regardless of whether they're using bitcoin. And that's the way it needs to be. 

Regarding arms... you can go to a "gun show" just about any southern state and buy whatever weapons you want with cash. Anonymously.

Yes you can but that's still illegal.

[Beliathon]

Right.  He goes to jail.  He goes directly to jail.  He does not pass go, he does not collect 200 bitcoins. 

And good fucking riddance. 

I do sort of feel bad for the guy.  Federal prisons in the US are harsher than some third-world prisons, and the treatment of prisoners is sometimes unconstitutionally harsh.  But that's a different issue.

EVERYBODY is better off with him in jail. Consider that Silk Road was not just drugs.  It was also arms deals that contributed to gang warfare, religious jihad, and criminal murder.  It was also extortion payments, slave sales to and by pimps including sales of underage girls for use as prostitutes, and transfers of money to jihadists and other damned murderers. 

This was all going on through his website, as well as him putting out a murder-for-hire contract?  He is exactly the sort of person that the nation has the right and duty to separate from society for the sake of the welfare of all its citizens. 

As far as Bitcoin is concerned, these are growing pains.  Give the Lions a bit of time to adjust to the new technology, and you're going to see crooks getting busted absolutely regardless of whether they're using bitcoin. And that's the way it needs to be. 

Regarding arms... you can go to a "gun show" just about any southern state and buy whatever weapons you want with cash. Anonymously.

Yes you can but that's still illegal.

Funny how no one seems to give a damn about the law being broken in person in places like that, but do it on the internet it's a major threat. The double standard should concern anyone interested in real justice.

[jonald_fyookball]

Right.  He goes to jail.  He goes directly to jail.  He does not pass go, he does not collect 200 bitcoins. 

And good fucking riddance. 

I do sort of feel bad for the guy.  Federal prisons in the US are harsher than some third-world prisons, and the treatment of prisoners is sometimes unconstitutionally harsh.  But that's a different issue.

EVERYBODY is better off with him in jail. Consider that Silk Road was not just drugs.  It was also arms deals that contributed to gang warfare, religious jihad, and criminal murder.  It was also extortion payments, slave sales to and by pimps including sales of underage girls for use as prostitutes, and transfers of money to jihadists and other damned murderers. 

This was all going on through his website, as well as him putting out a murder-for-hire contract?  He is exactly the sort of person that the nation has the right and duty to separate from society for the sake of the welfare of all its citizens. 

As far as Bitcoin is concerned, these are growing pains.  Give the Lions a bit of time to adjust to the new technology, and you're going to see crooks getting busted absolutely regardless of whether they're using bitcoin. And that's the way it needs to be. 

Regarding arms... you can go to a "gun show" just about any southern state and buy whatever weapons you want with cash. Anonymously.

Yes you can but that's still illegal.

Funny how no one seems to give a damn about the law being broken in person in places like that, but do it on the internet it's a major threat. The double standard should concern anyone interested in real justice.

...which aren't many people.  Most folks are too busy worrying about honey boo boo, the Kardashians and their favorite sports team.

[QuestionAuthority]

Right.  He goes to jail.  He goes directly to jail.  He does not pass go, he does not collect 200 bitcoins. 

And good fucking riddance. 

I do sort of feel bad for the guy.  Federal prisons in the US are harsher than some third-world prisons, and the treatment of prisoners is sometimes unconstitutionally harsh.  But that's a different issue.

EVERYBODY is better off with him in jail. Consider that Silk Road was not just drugs.  It was also arms deals that contributed to gang warfare, religious jihad, and criminal murder.  It was also extortion payments, slave sales to and by pimps including sales of underage girls for use as prostitutes, and transfers of money to jihadists and other damned murderers. 

This was all going on through his website, as well as him putting out a murder-for-hire contract?  He is exactly the sort of person that the nation has the right and duty to separate from society for the sake of the welfare of all its citizens. 

As far as Bitcoin is concerned, these are growing pains.  Give the Lions a bit of time to adjust to the new technology, and you're going to see crooks getting busted absolutely regardless of whether they're using bitcoin. And that's the way it needs to be. 

Regarding arms... you can go to a "gun show" just about any southern state and buy whatever weapons you want with cash. Anonymously.

Yes you can but that's still illegal.

Funny how no one seems to give a damn about the law being broken in person in places like that, but do it on the internet it's a major threat. The double standard should concern anyone interested in real justice.

...which aren't many people.  Most folks are too busy worrying about honey boo boo, the Kardashians and their favorite sports team.

Mericans have a very coushy life compared to the rest of the world. They don't care about anything because they have that luxury. Every one of them should have to spend a year living hand to mouth in an impoverished country to give them a true world perspective.

[blablaace]

I'm surprised he didn't just leave the USA and operate his business from somwhere outside the reach of US cops, like Russia. Then he would be totally safe

[blablaace]

Ulbricht is soft and going to supermax .. he's going to be abused and crumple. I feel bad for him.

[mark coins]

Gov don't realize that making something illegal does not  make the masses stop doing it? People did not stop smoking pot because it was illegal, they can't even keep drugs out of prisons.
Prohibition does not work

[keyscore44]

I'm surprised he didn't just leave the USA and operate his business from somwhere outside the reach of US cops, like Russia. Then he would be totally safe

yeah at the very least he should should have moved to country with no extradition treaty with the US. wouldn't have guaranteed his safety but would have at least given him more time to get his shit together if something did go wrong. can't be happy with life in a supermax prison, wonder if he's in solitary?

[Sefton]

I'm surprised he didn't just leave the USA and operate his business from somwhere outside the reach of US cops, like Russia. Then he would be totally safe

He obviously wasn't cut out to be a drug kingpin. He made some very silly mistakes but I agree he shouldn't have been residing within the US. He might still be free now had he not.

[bryant.coleman]

Ulbricht is soft and going to supermax .. he's going to be abused and crumple. I feel bad for him.

If he actually goes to the Supermax, then it will be good for him. He will be locked up for 23 hours in isolation, and will be allowed only 1 hour in the yard every day with very strict supervision. No one is going to sodomize him or beat him up. On the other hand, if he goes to San Quentin or Angola (LA), no one can predict what'll happen to him.

[QuestionAuthority]

I'm surprised he didn't just leave the USA and operate his business from somwhere outside the reach of US cops, like Russia. Then he would be totally safe

He obviously wasn't cut out to be a drug kingpin. He made some very silly mistakes but I agree he shouldn't have been residing within the US. He might still be free now had he not.

He's not your typical drug kingpin. When you see a photo list of drug kingpins that includes Ross it kind of looks silly. Like a photo of Mickey Mouse next to Jeffery Dalhmer.

[jonald_fyookball]

Is that first guy Borat?

[QuestionAuthority]

Is that first guy Borat?

Pablo Escobar

[pirsquared]

Ulbricht is no more of a villain than he is a hero. It's a sad story right now. His legal team pigeonholed him by claiming ownership of SR, but not ownership of the server. His country defrauded him of the very freedoms it defends by a process that doesn't align with its Constitution. It's sad.

Full opinion here: https://coinslists.info/index.php/2015/05/30/when-the-punishment-doesnt-fit-the-crime/

[zemon]

He should of moved to the UK, I am sure he would have got five years but been out in three.

A trial is still pending for some assassinations he was arranging and apparently two of the FBI agents are being charged for corruption and money laundering.

[spud21]

He should of moved to the UK, I am sure he would have got five years but been out in three.

A trial is still pending for some assassinations he was arranging and apparently two of the FBI agents are being charged for corruption and money laundering.

I think the EU might have come up with a rule that no European citizen can be jailed forever. They probably allow extremely long sentences but draw the line at forever.

[Beliathon]

Ulbricht is soft and going to supermax .. he's going to be abused and crumple. I feel bad for him.

If he actually goes to the Supermax, then it will be good for him. He will be locked up for 23 hours in isolation

Isolation is torture for any primate, 23 hours a day of torture will not be good for him. He will slowly go mad. I can imagine few fates worse than that.

[spud21]

Ulbricht is soft and going to supermax .. he's going to be abused and crumple. I feel bad for him.

If he actually goes to the Supermax, then it will be good for him. He will be locked up for 23 hours in isolation

Isolation is torture for any primate, 23 hours a day of torture will not be good for him. He will slowly go mad. I can imagine few fates worse than that.

All you get in a Supermax is a tiny cell where all the furniture is made of unmovable concrete and a polished metal plate embedded into the wall to act as a mirror. The exercise yard is also tiny with very high walls that prevent you glimpsing the sun, and you only use it alone.

Living every day for the rest of your life in those conditions could be a fate worse than death.

[Spamela Anderson]

In Norway the longest sentence you can get for ANY crime is 18 years. Anders Brevik got 18 years for that kids-camp shooting rampage and he'll be getting out in about 10 years.

I think Brevik's sentence was lenient but life should only be reserved for the worst of the worst - mass murderers etc. Ross didn't deserve life. 18 would have been more appropriate.

[Beliathon]

Living every day for the rest of your life in those conditions could be a fate worse than death.

Without any doubt, it is. Death is frightening only because it's the unknown, but there is nothing worth fearing in the unknown. There never has been. Men used to fear sailing off the edge of the flat Earth, what came of that?

But lifetime of slow, lonely suffering? That is truly worth fearing my friends. That is worth suicide. If you only remember one thing I've ever said on these forums, let it be this: Don't fear the reaper.