Brief Summary
Ross Ulbricht, a peaceful 32-year-old, was given double life without parole for all non-violent charges for his alleged role in the Silk Road website. No victim was named at trial. Silk Road was a “dark web” site, based on a libertarian philosophy of a free market, where people the world over could trade bitcoin for a variety of goods, not all of them legal.
The investigation, trial and sentencing are rife with government corruption, abuse, and violations, including:
Warrantless seizure of Silk Road server:
It is still not determined if this was the result of illegal government hacking.
Corrupt federal investigators hidden from jury:
While working for the DEA, Secret Service and NSA, two federal agents stole over $1 million from the site while investigating it. They had unfettered access to the site and server, with the ability to tamper unreservedly. They are now in prison, while the extent of the corruption remains undisclosed.
Note: Additional corruption has now been uncovered as well as something particularly odd.
Defense cross examination repeatedly curtailed or denied at trial.
Defense witnesses blocked from testifying.
Unproven, uncharged, unconvicted allegations of murder-for-hire were used to deprive Ross of bail; prejudice the jury; justify a draconian life sentence; and are included in the government’s reply in the appeal.
4th Amendment violations:
Illegal general warrants and warrantless pen traps were used in the investigation.
Sentenced to double life without parole + 40 years for all non-violent charges.
Case now in appeal: Ross and his defense team are challenging these and other violations. At stake are, among other issues, due process rights and fair trials; important precedents impacting 4th Amendment rights, privacy and sentencing.