PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

PCMag UK

Report: Silk Road Mastermind Gets Life in Prison

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS

Ross Ulbricht, the man behind Silk Road, a website notorious for trafficking illegal goods, has been sentenced to life in prison.

The New York Times on Friday reported that Ulbricht was sentenced today in Federal District Court in Manhattan by Judge Katherine Forrest for his role as the so-called "kingpin of a worldwide digital drug-trafficking enterprise." He was facing a minimum of 20 years in prison on one of the counts, but the judge said that Ulbricht's activity "in connection with Silk Road was terribly destructive to our social fabric."

In October, federal officials seized Silk Road and arrested Ulbricht. He was charged with narcotics trafficking conspiracy, computer hacking conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy.

In its complaint, the FBI described Silk Road as a "sprawling black-market bazaar, where illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services have been regularly bought and sold by the site's users."

In order to evade the authorities, Ulbricht allegedly anonymized his online activity using Tor, which makes it "practically impossible" to physically locate the PCs associated with the network, FBI Special Agent Christopher Tarbell said in the complaint. The site also only trafficked in bitcoins, making it difficult for officials to follow a money trail.

Ultimately, this helped Silk Road become "the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet," Tarbell said. Over the 2.5 years it was in operation, Silk Road was utilized by drug dealers to move narcotics and launder money. Since 2011, sales generated 9.5 million bitcoins and 600,000 bitcoins in profit, which adds up to about $1.2 billion and $80 million, respectively.

Ulbricht was convicted in February on charges of engaging in a continued criminal enterprise and distribution of narcotics on the Internet, each of which carried a potential life term, according to the Times. Prosecutors also alleged that he solicited the murders of people he saw as threats and that at least six deaths were caused by drugs purchased on Silk Road.

In March, two former federal agents from Maryland were accused of stealing bitcoin digital currency during their investigation of Silk Road.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

Read the latest from Angela Moscaritolo

Read full bio