# 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)

## Legal history

Every step recorded in the public legal record for this person, in the order it happened.

These entries describe procedure only. Nothing here establishes guilt, and a charge remains an allegation until a court rules.

1. October 1, 2013

2. October 2, 2013

3. February 4, 2015

4. May 29, 2015

5. January 21, 2025

Record note. Dates follow the earliest official announcement of each step. Where proceedings were subject to reporting restrictions, this entry records only what was published.