Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht sentenced to life in prison

[RonPaulFanInGA]

http://www.cnet.com/news/convicted-silk-road-founder-ross-ulbricht-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/


Ross Ulbricht, the convicted founder of online illegal-drug marketplace Silk Road, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The sentencing of the 31-year-old San Francisco man was handed down by US District Court Judge Katherine Forrest in a Manhattan courtroom, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Ulbricht was facing a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.

In a letter filed to the court earlier this week, Ulbricht pleaded with the judge not to send him away for life.

"As I see it, a life sentence is more similar in nature to a death sentence than it is to a sentence...Both condemn you to die in prison, a life sentence just takes longer," Ulbricht wrote. "I've had my youth, and I know you must take away my middle years, but please leave me my old age.

"Please leave a small light at the end of the tunnel, an excuse to stay healthy, an excuse to dream of better days ahead and a chance to redeem myself in the free world before I meet my maker."

In the end, Forrest rejected Ulbricht's plea.

[amy31416]

Jesus Christ. Murderers, pedophiles and rapists get more lenient time after conviction.

[puppetmaster]

Jesus Christ. Murderers, pedophiles and rapists get more lenient time after conviction. don't mess with the government funds.

[Occam's Banana]

Jesus Christ. Murderers, pedophiles and rapists get more lenient time after conviction.

Yep. And that's because murders, pedophiliac molestations, and rapes are crimes against persons and not crimes against the State.

The prerogatives of the State are sacrosanct. The rights of persons? Not so much ...

[presence]

Yep.

And that's because murders, pedophiliac molestations, and rapes are crimes against persons

and not crimes against the State.

we have a winner folks! step right up and claim your prize!

[anaconda]

don't mess with the government funds.

^This. The state was clearly frightened on this one. Perhaps a pardon from President Paul...

[kpitcher]

No chance for him to claim what bitcoins the feds didn't find or couldn't crack. Maybe they can be used to bribe his guards into giving him a more comfy stay.

[libertarianMoney]

The saddest part is thinking about the lives he saved.

- Better quality with review quality controls = Less overdoses, more consistency
- Less dangerous a marketplace (No buying from and selling to the sketchy guys carrying guns)

The market will continue his business in other forms. He'll be a useful cautionary tale.

Too bad he wasn't so good at saving his own life. When they threw the BS hitman claims to the media this was pretty much what should be expected.

[jtap]

So disgusted by this. I remember thinking about how I just read that former football player Darren Sharper plead guilty to raping 3 women and will serve 10 years. There is so much wrong with this place.

[tod evans]

Is it time to pop the BOP boil on Americas ass?


http://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_offenses.jsp

Offenses
a Banking and Insurance, Counterfeit, Embezzlement 682 0.3%
b Burglary, Larceny, Property Offenses 8,002 4.1%
c Continuing Criminal Enterprise 451 0.2%
d Courts or Corrections 825 0.4%
e Drug Offenses 95,581 48.7%
f Extortion, Fraud, Bribery 12,360 6.3%
g Homicide, Aggravated Assault, and Kidnapping Offenses 5,632 2.9%
h Immigration 18,407 9.4%
i Miscellaneous 1,525 0.8%
j National Security 76 0.0%
k Robbery 7,265 3.7%
l Sex Offenses 13,787 7.0%
m Weapons, Explosives, Arson 31,665 16.1%