Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht Sentenced to Life in Prison

[ajareselde]

Anybody know if he's appealing and what the state of it is. Not that I care a vast amount but as long as we are talking about it.

http://freeross.org/donate-now-2/  (there is BTC donation option if people want to help him)
His parents didn't reach the goal yet so I don't think they are going to do anything till then .

I may be sceptic but why in the world would anyone want to donate to the drug dealer ? Just because he used bitcoins ?
You people should get your priorities straight. He an alike are the reason why bitcoin is associated with illicit things, so there's 0 chance i'll donate anything to him.

I don't know mate , I won't be donating either but It was just a suggestion for those who are sympathizing with him and the fact that they got 400k $ already means that there is some people who want to help to get out .

Those 400k USD are probably from their buddies that were involved as well. I don't believe strangers donated money to drug sales organizer (amung other things)
On a positive note; he did make drug dealing far more safe for both buyer and seller, but it's not like he deserves a medal for that..

[BADecker]

However, nobody was hurt by Ross and his DPR activities. At least they haven't come forward to suggest they were hurt. Actually, it is the other way around. A bunch of government people hurt Ross by stealing his property, and by blaming him for hurting people who never came forward with even a scratch (hearsay). They, the government people, should be sued to the max for hurting Ross and stealing his property.

[ajareselde]

However, nobody was hurt by Ross and his DPR activities. At least they haven't come forward to suggest they were hurt. Actually, it is the other way around. A bunch of government people hurt Ross by stealing his property, and by blaming him for hurting people who never came forward with even a scratch (hearsay). They, the government people, should be sued to the max for hurting Ross and stealing his property.

I would be very interested to what you would say if someone u care about bought narcotics from silk road and died from overdose..
People shouldn't feel bad about Ross, he knew what he was doing, and he was doing it for money, not because he's such a great guy..
btw there's that civil forfeiture law, so i wouldn't be surprised if they take away real estates associated with him and his family, and not just wallet and money he had.

[gambit1]

I can feel how I want and I feel a bit bad for him. That's the way it is.

[cjmoles]

Well, in the United States of America there are people who would like to believe that their system is a fair one, that crimes are tried according to their level of its seriousness, and that the degree to which a person is held culpable matches the degree of their participation.  There are also ex post facto clauses that US citizens agree should not be infringed upon.  So, moral or immoral, the question still remains....does Ulbricht deserve a life sentence for setting up a web site that conducted anonymous transactions?  And, when was that law codified, before or after the fact?  Due process, equality in sentencing, and social agenda flags are raised all around this case.

[xCynosure]

I can't say I feel bad for the guy - he knew well enough what consequences he would face if he were to end up getting caught. What I always find ironic is that while all of these articles are being posted with law enforcement circle-jerking themselves on how great they are for catching someone they made out to be so incredibly evil, they all go home and pay taxes to feed and shelter him for life.

I would be surprised if they don't end up cutting some sort of deal with him, if they haven't yet.

[QuestionAuthority]

Well, in the United States of America there are people who would like to believe that their system is a fair one, that crimes are tried according to their level of its seriousness, and that the degree to which a person is held culpable matches the degree of their participation.  There are also ex post facto clauses that US citizens agree should not be infringed upon.  So, moral or immoral, the question still remains....does Ulbricht deserve a life sentence for setting up a web site that conducted anonymous transactions?  And, when was that law codified, before or after the fact?  Due process, equality in sentencing, and social agenda flags are raised all around this case.

The US legal system is horribly unjust and corrupt. You would have to be living in a cave or under 12 years old to not know that. This guy was a fool for operating a business like that on US soil from a public library. He should serve life in prison. Oh, not for the crime he committed but because stupid people shouldn't be allowed to breed and polute the rest of society with their tainted genetic code. There are more than a few countries he could have set up shop in and never been caught. He's worse than that megaupload idiot that lived in Australia. That's like running from the law in D.C. by moving to Virginia. LOL

[cjmoles]

Well, in the United States of America there are people who would like to believe that their system is a fair one, that crimes are tried according to their level of its seriousness, and that the degree to which a person is held culpable matches the degree of their participation.  There are also ex post facto clauses that US citizens agree should not be infringed upon.  So, moral or immoral, the question still remains....does Ulbricht deserve a life sentence for setting up a web site that conducted anonymous transactions?  And, when was that law codified, before or after the fact?  Due process, equality in sentencing, and social agenda flags are raised all around this case.

The US legal system is horribly unjust and corrupt. You would have to be living in a cave or under 12 years old to not know that. This guy was a fool for operating a business like that on US soil from a public library. He should serve life in prison. Oh, not for the crime he committed but because stupid people shouldn't be allowed to breed and polute the rest of society with their tainted genetic code. There are more than a few countries he could have set up shop in and never been caught. He's worse than that megaupload idiot that lived in Australia. That's like running from the law in D.C. by moving to Virginia. LOL

As much as I'd like to find a flaw in your argument, I cannot.  That's just telling it like it is in my opinion.  Sometimes "what is" and "what should be" are two very different realities.  And, somebody has to face the consequences of that sometimes.

[Towlie]

However, nobody was hurt by Ross and his DPR activities. At least they haven't come forward to suggest they were hurt. Actually, it is the other way around. A bunch of government people hurt Ross by stealing his property, and by blaming him for hurting people who never came forward with even a scratch (hearsay). They, the government people, should be sued to the max for hurting Ross and stealing his property.

It's arguable that people weren't hurt and the US gov will certainly be of the opinion that he hurt those who he supplied drugs to, but there's also the murder for hires that if were true would have ended up with someone potentially being killed and if Ross had the capacity to order hits would makes him a bad person in my view.

On a related note what has happened with Blake Benthall? Haven't heard anything about his trail for ages.

[TeamButtcoin]

On a related note what has happened with Blake Benthall? Haven't heard anything about his trail for ages.

he got engaged to be married. i'm not joking
https://www.deepdotweb.com/2015/04/14/congrats-blake-benthall-aka-defcon-got-engaged/




Consider asking his fiance "stephie"-> https://stephie-mckay.squarespace.com/contact/

[Bit_Happy]

Ross can appeal based on the Federal agents breaking the law.
Any recent updates on that?

[n2004al]

However, nobody was hurt by Ross and his DPR activities. At least they haven't come forward to suggest they were hurt. Actually, it is the other way around. A bunch of government people hurt Ross by stealing his property, and by blaming him for hurting people who never came forward with even a scratch (hearsay). They, the government people, should be sued to the max for hurting Ross and stealing his property.

Cannot be made such kind of reasoning. Even could be true (I don't believe that) that nobody was hurt by him, that cannot be a fact or element in favor of him. We cannot wait to happen something bad in order to condemn someone when it is well known that the illegal things sold through its platform brings pan, hurt, disease and distress. there would be the most right thing that could be made if it would be possible to prevent the bad and not to wait that this thing happen and then condemn the guilty person. So it would be better if him be sent in prison even earlier than the day in which was entered there. And for sure it would be so if the FBI would have been able to realize this.

[yatsey87]

Ross can appeal based on the Federal agents breaking the law.
Any recent updates on that?

I haven't seen any updates on his case at all and I'm sure they're busy trying to make a case to appeal but the USG will probably just argue it had nothing to do with his arrest. Can't see him getting off on this technicality though.

On a related note what has happened with Blake Benthall? Haven't heard anything about his trail for ages.

he got engaged to be married. i'm not joking
https://www.deepdotweb.com/2015/04/14/congrats-blake-benthall-aka-defcon-got-engaged/




Consider asking his fiance "stephie"-> https://stephie-mckay.squarespace.com/contact/

Seems pointless as he's probably going to be spending a good chunk of his life behind bars though I'm sure he flipped over and ratted out some others for a lesser sentence. I seem to recall his number two getting nabbed some time back after his arrest and I wonder what part he had to play in that.

[BADecker]

However, nobody was hurt by Ross and his DPR activities. At least they haven't come forward to suggest they were hurt. Actually, it is the other way around. A bunch of government people hurt Ross by stealing his property, and by blaming him for hurting people who never came forward with even a scratch (hearsay). They, the government people, should be sued to the max for hurting Ross and stealing his property.

Cannot be made such kind of reasoning. Even could be true (I don't believe that) that nobody was hurt by him, that cannot be a fact or element in favor of him. We cannot wait to happen something bad in order to condemn someone when it is well known that the illegal things sold through its platform brings pan, hurt, disease and distress. there would be the most right thing that could be made if it would be possible to prevent the bad and not to wait that this thing happen and then condemn the guilty person. So it would be better if him be sent in prison even earlier than the day in which was entered there. And for sure it would be so if the FBI would have been able to realize this.

Yes, reasoning can be made. Is most important to make this kind reasoning. Why?

1. If there were any hurt people, State should have brought at least one hurt person to trial to show how Ross hurt him. Maybe nobody hurt. Can't State find even 1 hurt man or woman in $millions of dollars of sales?

2. If someone wants something bad to happen to himself, why do you want to stop it? Want to take freedom away from person to hurt himself?

3. Do you judge what is bad for someone else? How do you know? If lose freedom because of things State feels are bad, maybe State will feel is bad to drive car tomorrow. No more car. Then maybe no more bicycle. Then maybe no more dinner plate. Then maybe must stay in house all the time. Then maybe no more freedom. Give State power; State take all freedom away.

Stop State from taking away freedom. State is only people. State is people taking property and freedom away from other people. Wait for harm or damage, then let State intervene.

Nobody force people to buy from Ross. All done by freedom. You no like freedom? You part of State? You want take freedom away from other people, just like State?

[crazyearner]

Places like silk road only do one thing and that causes more problems than cures and gives Bitcoin and other crypto a bad name for all the illegal activity's that where conducted on them. Cracking down on them and putting a stop to them I agree to. People who use places like silk road take the risk and are fully aware if things go wrong. When I was on it the amount of stuff that could be bought was a shock to me after seeing so many bad things and services you could buy with a click of a button and a payment of coin. Once all places like Silk road are stopped the better it will get for Bitcoin to be a much better legal friendly crypto to be used in the future.

[Bit_Happy]

Places like silk road only do one thing and that causes more problems than cures and gives Bitcoin and other crypto a bad name for all the illegal activity's that where conducted on them. Cracking down on them and putting a stop to them I agree to. People who use places like silk road take the risk and are fully aware if things go wrong. When I was on it the amount of stuff that could be bought was a shock to me after seeing so many bad things and services you could buy with a click of a button and a payment of coin. Once all places like Silk road are stopped the better it will get for Bitcoin to be a much better legal friendly crypto to be used in the future.

Freedom is scary for some people and a desirable option for others.

[STT]

They wont ever stop all the places like silk and its not really anything to do with bitcoin that bad things exist in the world.   Doesnt the TOR back end still operate anyway.   Just seems a bit of an idealistic view of the world and of course thats met by locking someone non violent in a cage till he dies as if thats contributing any solution.  

btw there's that civil forfeiture law, so i wouldn't be surprised if they take away real estates associated with him and his family, and not just wallet and money he had.

They should be doing that instead of spending 50k a year for decades.  Just from the idea of providing value administration, maybe dont waste so much dam money unnecessarily and of course its political rhetoric as to the reasoning behind why they spend so much money not crime prevention

[BADecker]

Places like silk road only do one thing and that causes more problems than cures and gives Bitcoin and other crypto a bad name for all the illegal activity's that where conducted on them. Cracking down on them and putting a stop to them I agree to. People who use places like silk road take the risk and are fully aware if things go wrong. When I was on it the amount of stuff that could be bought was a shock to me after seeing so many bad things and services you could buy with a click of a button and a payment of coin. Once all places like Silk road are stopped the better it will get for Bitcoin to be a much better legal friendly crypto to be used in the future.

Did you ever notice how government is trying to make Bitcoin illegal? In New York there are allready laws that make business owners get licensing to use Bitcoin. I would rather have freedom across the board for Bitcoin. It is places like SilkRoad that enhance Bitcoin freedom.

Don't you like freedom? Government makes it so that you don't have the freedom to personally prosecute someone in a court of law if they harm you. You have to do it government's way, where government prosecutes, and you pay big money to a lawyer. No freedom there.

[crazyearner]

Places like silk road only do one thing and that causes more problems than cures and gives Bitcoin and other crypto a bad name for all the illegal activity's that where conducted on them. Cracking down on them and putting a stop to them I agree to. People who use places like silk road take the risk and are fully aware if things go wrong. When I was on it the amount of stuff that could be bought was a shock to me after seeing so many bad things and services you could buy with a click of a button and a payment of coin. Once all places like Silk road are stopped the better it will get for Bitcoin to be a much better legal friendly crypto to be used in the future.

Did you ever notice how government is trying to make Bitcoin illegal? In New York there are already laws that make business owners get licensing to use Bitcoin. I would rather have freedom across the board for Bitcoin. It is places like SilkRoad that enhance Bitcoin freedom.

Don't you like freedom? Government makes it so that you don't have the freedom to personally prosecute someone in a court of law if they harm you. You have to do it government's way, where government prosecutes, and you pay big money to a lawyer. No freedom there.

Yeah I love my freedom however that is a totally different ball game in New York and lots of areas with US they like to restrict everything they cant control or partly control, so they will just make illegal. SilkRoad did nothing but cause problems. Looking at all the operations it had running on it, if it did not have as much wrong doing and illegal things to buy then maybe it would be still running today. In what way did SilkRoad enhance Bitcoin freedom? as I do not see much actual good that happened from it other than more people got burned in it. So buying drugs, guns, weapons, knifes, services that are all illegal how on earth this makes Bitcoin enhances its freedom is far from that I would think.

[1990BEARS]

i think this is bs
someone need to create silk road v3 in respect for ross and bring back legacy. Screw this sentence