Alleged Silk Road creator indicted on 'kingpin' charges in New York
Ross Ulbricht, alleged creator of the online black market Silk Road, was indicted in New York Tuesday on narcotics, money laundering and so-called "kingpin" charges, and faces up to life in prison.
Authorities say Ulbricht created in 2011 the Silk Road, a site that was used to sell drugs including heroin and ecstasy, as well as hacking tools and other goods. He was arrested in October when federal agents picked him up in a San Francisco public library. Prosecutors say his pseudonyms included "Dread Pirate Roberts" and "DPR."
The 29-year-old was indicted Tuesday at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The indictment listed a new charge of engaging in a "continuing criminal enterprise," brought under a federal law sometimes called the kingpin statute. Often used against crime organizations such as drug cartels, it carries a mandatory 20-year sentence and a maximum of life.
