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@ Moe
2025-01-29 16:53:43
*Ross William Ulbricht's Laptop*
This laptop belonged to **Ross William Ulbricht**, known online as **Dread Pirate Roberts**, who ran the darknet market **Silk Road** from 2011 to 2013.
The Silk Road was a digital marketplace for buying and selling illicit goods and services. Accessible only through the **Tor network**, it generated over **$183 million** in sales during its operation, with Ulbricht earning more than **$13 million in Bitcoin commissions**.
🔍 **The investigation** began on **January 27, 2011**, when a tax agent discovered a forum post discussing the Silk Road. Eight months later, the same user posted a job listing investigators linked to Ulbricht's email address.
*Image placed on original Silk Road after the seizure of property by the FBI*
📂 Through **digital forensics and network tracking**, authorities identified Ulbricht as the operator. On **October 1, 2013**, FBI agents arrested him in a **San Francisco library** and seized his laptop, which contained evidence. In 2015, he was convicted and sentenced to **life in prison without parole** for charges including conspiracy to traffic narcotics, money laundering, and computer hacking.
*Impact of the seizure on the USD/Bitcoin exchange rate*
💻 On **November 3, 2020**, U.S. authorities seized over **$1 billion worth of Bitcoin** from a Silk Road-linked wallet, making it one of the largest cryptocurrency seizures in history.
🏆 On **January 21, 2025**, U.S. President Donald Trump granted Ulbricht a full and unconditional pardon.
#Bitcoin #SilkRoad #FreeRoss