# 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)

## Sources

Every claim on this person's pages traces to one of the entries below.

Official announcements come first, then the reporting that supports individual details.

2 sources cited across 5 recorded actions

1. [1]
[Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Seizure Of Additional $28 Million Worth Of Bitcoins Belonging To Ross William Ulbricht, Alleged Owner And Operator Of Silk Road Website](https://takedownindex.org/sources/united-states-attorney-s-office-southern-district-of-new-york-manhattan-u-s-atto)

United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York, October 25, 2013 Prosecutor release Source grade P1

Silk Road seizure, Ulbricht arrest and charges, Bitcoin seizure

No address recorded for this source. Publisher, title, and date are given so it can be retrieved from the publisher.

2. [2]
[United States v. Ross William Ulbricht, judgment and sentencing record](https://takedownindex.org/sources/united-states-district-court-for-the-southern-district-of-new-york-united-states)

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, May 29, 2015 Judgment Source grade P0

Conviction, sentence, and appellate history

No address recorded for this source. Publisher, title, and date are given so it can be retrieved from the publisher.

Coverage note. Nothing on this page rests on an uncited claim. Where a source is silent on an outcome, this entry leaves the outcome unstated rather than inferring one. Every linked takedown sits in the verified core of this index.