Man charged in operating drug trafficking site

The secret Silk Road website which allowed the public access to the purchasing of illegal narcotics has been shut down and its operant arrested.

Twenty-nine-year-old Ross William Ulbricht has been operating the website since 2011 and announced his alias ‘Dread Pirate Roberts’ in 2012.  The site was compiled of nearly 13,000 listings for illegal drugs that users could look through and place an order for shipping.  The categories included “Cannabis,” “Stimulants” and “Psychedelics” to name a few.

Ulbricht has been under investigation since 2011 and faces several charges in both Maryland and New York.  Along with the drug charges Ulbricht is also charged in Maryland with ordering the torture and murder of a former employee.

Silk Road had close to 1 million registered members from countries such as the United States, Germany and Russia and has grossed a reported $1.2 billion.

He was arrested Tuesday at the San Francisco public library and could face life in prison if he is convicted of all the charges.