Ross Ulbricht, founder of the deep web drug market Silk Road, is certain to spend the rest of his life in prison after his final appeal was rejected by the Second Circuit Court this week. Two years ago, Ulbricht, known online as the Dread Pirate Roberts, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for drug trafficking and money laundering, among other assorted charges.
In the initial sentencing ruling, Judge Katherine Forrest explained that the life sentence was intended to send a message to other would-be online drug traffickers. However, that message seemingly fell on deaf ears, as illegal sales on a number of Silk Road-inspired sites doubled in the weeks following the announcement of the sentence.
In the appeal, Ulbricht’s attorneys argued against the unexpected harshness of the life sentence, especially given the non-violent nature of his crimes. His attorneys also argued that the involvement of at least two federal agents who were later convicted of corruption tainted the case, and that law enforcement performed illegal searches during the investigation.
Regardless, the three judges of the appellate court affirmed the lower court’s sentence….