Ross Ulbricht created and operated the Silk Road, a hidden dark web marketplace where drugs, weapons, and stolen data were exchanged. Transactions on the market used untraceable cryptocurrency, attracting a global clientele and earning Ulbricht the alias Dread Pirate Roberts. Law enforcement arrested Ulbricht and secured a conviction that resulted in a double life sentence for his role in the marketplace. A presidential pardon issued days into a subsequent period of incarceration overturned that status and provoked widespread outrage and debate. The case raises questions about punishment, justice, and the influence of political power over legal outcomes.
Ross Ulbricht built an empire in the shadows where drugs, weapons, and stolen secrets flowed freely. Ross Ulbricht built an empire in the shadowsa sprawling digital bazaar called The Silk Road, hidden on the dark web. There, drugs, weapons, and stolen secrets flowed freely, all paid for in untraceable cryptocurrency. To his global clientele, he was a legend: the Dread Pirate Roberts.
But after a dramatic arrest and a staggering double life sentence, Ulbricht's fate took another twist. Just days into his second term, President Trump pardoned him, sparking outrage and debate. So, did he deserve his punishment? Did justice prevailor was power at play? And how did a digital outlaw become the ultimate wild card in America's justice system? In this episode: Nicholas Cristin, Online Crime Professor at Carnegie Mellon University David Yaffe-Bellany, Technology Reporter for the New York Times
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