# Ross William Ulbricht

Also known as: Dread Pirate Roberts, DPR

Arrested, Charged, Convicted, Sentenced, Released

Public record reviewed to August 20, 2026

Index entry last updated August 21, 2026

Founder and sole controlling administrator of Silk Road.

A conviction or guilty plea is recorded in this entry.

- Founder and operator of Silk Road.
- Pardoned by President Trump on 2025-01-21.

Everything on this page comes from cited public sources.

This entry records 5 actions across 1 takedown, each traced to a cited source. Every linked takedown sits in the verified core of this index. Where the record is silent, this page says so rather than filling the gap.

Legal summary

**Associated takedowns:** [Silk Road seizure](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/silk-road-seizure)

**Recorded role:** Founder and sole controlling administrator of Silk Road

**Group segment:** Core operator

**Charging authority:** United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York

**Charging jurisdiction:** United States

**Case number:** Not published

**Latest recorded action:** Released, January 2025

**Nationality:** United States

**Country of residence:** United States

**Recorded sentence:** Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole plus 40 years

- [Associated takedowns](https://takedownindex.org/people/ross-william-ulbricht)
- [Legal history](https://takedownindex.org/people/ross-william-ulbricht/legal-history)
- [Charges](https://takedownindex.org/people/ross-william-ulbricht/charges)
- [Sources](https://takedownindex.org/people/ross-william-ulbricht/sources)

## Associated takedowns

Law enforcement actions against infrastructure and services linked to this person, and the action recorded against the person in each one.

Outcomes and dates follow the public reporting cited on the sources tab and are subject to revision.

5 recorded actions across 1 takedown

| Date | Takedown | Target | Connection | Outcome |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| October 1, 2013, [Source [1]](https://takedownindex.org/people/ross-william-ulbricht/sources#source-1) | [Silk Road seizure](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/silk-road-seizure), Darknet market | Silk Road, silkroadvb5piz3r.onion | Founder and sole controlling administrator of Silk Road | Arrested. Arrested in a San Francisco public library at the moment he was logged into the marketplace administration interface. |
| October 2, 2013, [Source [1]](https://takedownindex.org/people/ross-william-ulbricht/sources#source-1) | [Silk Road seizure](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/silk-road-seizure), Darknet market | Silk Road, silkroadvb5piz3r.onion | Founder and sole controlling administrator of Silk Road | Charged. Charged by complaint and subsequently indicted in SDNY. |
| February 4, 2015, [Source [2]](https://takedownindex.org/people/ross-william-ulbricht/sources#source-2) | [Silk Road seizure](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/silk-road-seizure), Darknet market | Silk Road, silkroadvb5piz3r.onion | Founder and sole controlling administrator of Silk Road | Convicted. Convicted on all counts at trial. |
| May 29, 2015, [Source [2]](https://takedownindex.org/people/ross-william-ulbricht/sources#source-2) | [Silk Road seizure](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/silk-road-seizure), Darknet market | Silk Road, silkroadvb5piz3r.onion | Founder and sole controlling administrator of Silk Road | Sentenced. Sentencing is recorded as a separate event from conviction. |
| January 21, 2025, [Source [2]](https://takedownindex.org/people/ross-william-ulbricht/sources#source-2) | [Silk Road seizure](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/silk-road-seizure), Darknet market | Silk Road, silkroadvb5piz3r.onion | Founder and sole controlling administrator of Silk Road | Released. Released following a full and unconditional presidential pardon. |