Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have formally charged Ross Ulbricht, the alleged mastermind of the notorious online drug marketplace Silk Road, with being the driving force behind a major drug trafficking, drug smuggling, hacking, and money laundering operation.
The four charges were announced in a new indictment on Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Perhaps surprisingly, there were no charges related to the six murders that federal agents wanted Ross Ulbricht to commit. The original indictment charged Ross Ulbricht with ordering hitmen to carry out two murders, a number that was later increased.
However, Ross Ulbricht faces a new charge, that of “continuing criminal enterprise,” which is usually levied against organized crime leaders.
The new charge could carry a minimum sentence of life in prison and a maximum of life in prison. The conspiracy charge “could potentially send him to prison for life, or at least 10 years. The other two charges would carry lesser sentences: up to 5 years for piracy and a maximum of 20 years for money laundering.
In a statement to Forbes, Ulbricht’s attorney Joshua Dratel said the new indictment “does not contain any new factual allegations” and that Ulbricht will plead not guilty.
