Ross Ulbricht: the FBI agent who caught him and two calls for freedom
Former FBI agent Chris Tarbell explains how he tracked down and arrested Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht and discusses murder for hire, regret and the war on drugs, while libertarian Dave Smith and anarchist Michael Malice each call for Ulbricht to be freed. Hearing the investigator beside the two who want him out shows both what the case rested on and why others want him released.
Who is Chris Tarbell in the Ross Ulbricht case? Show answer
The former FBI agent who tracked down and arrested Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road dark market website.
What made Silk Road hard to investigate, according to Tarbell? Show answer
It combined Tor with cryptocurrency, which blocked the IP address and the money, the two things cybercrime investigators normally follow.
Which clues tied Ulbricht to the Silk Road operator known as Dread Pirate Roberts? Show answer
A chat client set to Pacific time, early forum posts under the name Frosty signed with his own Gmail address, and a computer named Frosty logging into the backups.
What does Tarbell say the internet overlooks about the case? Show answer
That the FBI believed Ulbricht had ordered six murders. No one was actually killed, and the allegations were never pursued in court.
Why, by Tarbell's explanation, were the murder allegations never pursued in court? Show answer
Because of a turf fight with a separate Baltimore investigation.
What sentence did Ross Ulbricht receive? Show answer
Two life sentences plus 40 years, with no parole.
What did Michael Malice argue on The Joe Rogan Experience in July 2024? Show answer
That President Biden should free Ulbricht before Donald Trump could, because Ulbricht is nonviolent and there is no concern he would reoffend.
What did Dave Smith ask of Donald Trump the day after the 2024 election? Show answer
To honor his promise at the Libertarian Party convention to free Ulbricht on day one, which Smith said would cost no political capital.
What is Joe Rogan's objection to how Ulbricht was sentenced? Show answer
The murder-for-hire allegations were never charged but were considered at sentencing. Rogan says prosecutors with evidence should have tried him for it.
What is Tarbell's lasting regret about the Silk Road case? Show answer
A man's son died from drugs bought on Silk Road in the window after investigators knew they could shut the server down and before the arrest.
Why does Tarbell say the takedown may have backfired? Show answer
Silk Road had thousands of users before it, and afterwards millions of people knew about Tor and onion sites. Dark markets multiplied.
What does Tarbell believe went wrong with Ulbricht as a person? Show answer
He believes Ulbricht's libertarianism was sincere but that the money broke him, and that he could never give up control.