THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR ROSS ULBRICHT

Over 425,000 have signed to free Ross!

Catherine Austin Fitts

“…one of the worst examples of prosecutorial abuse the United States has suffered yet.”
– Catherine Austin Fitts
Assistant Secretary of Housing under President George H.W. Bush

Diane Goldstein

“An unjustifiable sentence. Decades of incarceration for Ross Ulbricht would be a great tragedy and serve no useful purpose.”
– Diane Goldstein
Executive Director, Law Enforcement Action Partnership. Police Veteran

Noam Chomsky, Ph.D.

“A shocking miscarriage of justice.”
– Noam Chomsky, Ph.D.
World-Renowned Political Dissident, Professor Emeritus MIT, Author

Ron Paul

“I would pardon him…Two times life imprisonment and never committed a violent crime! It’s time for the American people to wake up!”
– Ron Paul
Former Congressman and Presidential Candidate

LP

“The Libertarian Party has requested the President grant a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht.”
– National Libertarian Party

David Safavian

“Ross’s case highlights the insanity of the current system…Why we are ok with a non-violent offender sentenced to die in prison is beyond me.”
– David Safavian
Criminal Justice Reform Advocate. General Counsel, ACU

Keanu Reeves

“The Silk Road and trial of Ross Ulbricht involve many important and complex issues that impact the life of Mr. Ulbricht and us all.”
– Keanu Reeves
Actor

John Stossel

“No American is safer because Ross Ulbricht is in jail for life. He is just one more casualty of our futile war against drugs.”
– John Stossel
Commentator and Television Personality

Kannon Shanmugam

“A sentence almost unheard of…A young first-time offender who was never charged with causing any death or bodily injury.”
– Kannon Shanmugam
Head of Supreme Court Practice, Williams & Connolly

Shon Hopwood

“Such a sentence should, at the very least, be reserved for the worst crimes…Ross’s crime is nowhere near that category and his sentence was grossly excessive.”
– Shon Hopwood
Professor of Law, Georgetown University

Jesse Ventura

“An entire book could be written on Ross Ulbricht’s takedown,…most articles about his case present false or misleading information.”
– Jesse Ventura
Former Governor, Minnesota

Henry Blodget

“Ulbricht’s life sentence won’t deter others…It won’t ‘protect’ society. It won’t ‘serve justice…’ It will just waste another life behind bars.”
– Henry Blodget
CEO, Business Insider

Tim Draper

“Free Ross! We need that guy in the economy…He is clearly one of the great entrepreneurs in the world. He should be pardoned, he should get out of jail.”
– Tim Draper
Venture Capitalist

Paul Wright

“…an absolute failure of our courts…The punishment Ross Ulbricht received truly has no place in civil society.”
– Paul Wright
Executive Director, Human Rights Defense Center

Sister Helen

“A commutation of Ross Ulbricht’s sentence…would be celebrated by so many of us who care about justice, fairness and mercy.”
– Sister Helen Prejean
World-Renowned Anti-Death Penalty and Justice Advocate, Author

Michael Arrington

“I, and much of the tech community, strongly believe that Ross deserves an act of clemency and the chance to experience freedom again.”
– Michael Arrington
Founder, TechCrunch. Venture Capitalist

Neill Franklin

“People like Ross should be afforded the opportunity of redemption as soon as possible. For Ross that is now.”
– Neill Franklin
Former Exec. Director, Law Enforcement Action Partnership. Police Veteran

Gary Johnson

“Should Ross Ulbricht’s unduly harsh sentence be left to stand, it would be harmful to both our legal system and the trust that the public places in our courts.”
– Gary Johnson
Former Governor, New Mexico

Justin Amash

“Ross Ulbricht’s sentence is wildly excessive, and the president should address such disparities in justice.”
– Congressman Justin Amash
U.S. Representative, Michigan

WIDESPREAD SUPPORT

There is a strong, bipartisan consensus that Ross’s case is a miscarriage of justice.
Over 250 organizations, eminent individuals & leaders have voiced support.

2,767 days in prison

First-time offender

All non-violent charges

Two life sentences + 40 years without parole

Ross Ulbricht is condemned to die in prison for creating an e-commerce website called Silk Road. An entrepreneur passionate about free markets and privacy, he was 26 when he made the site. He was never prosecuted for causing harm or bodily injury and no victim was named at trial.

Users of Silk Road chose to exchange a variety of goods, both legal and illegal, including drugs (most commonly small amounts of cannabis). Prohibited was anything involuntary that could harm a third party.

Ross was not convicted of selling drugs or illegal items himself, but was held responsible for what others sold on the site.

Who is Ross?

Case Overview

“Silk Road was supposed to be about giving people the freedom to make their own choices, to pursue their own happiness, however they individually saw fit. [It] turned out to be a naive and costly idea that I deeply regret.”
– Ross in letter to the Court [PDF]

SMEARED WITH FALSE ALLEGATIONS

Tweet by Curtis Green, alleged “victim”

Ross was smeared with false, unprosecuted allegations of planning murder-for-hire that much of the media amplified through inaccurate and sensationalized reporting. The allegations were never charged at trial, never proven, never submitted to, or ruled on by, a jury, and eventually dismissed with prejudice.

Ross consistently denied the allegations (which relied on anonymous online chats never proven to have been authored by him) and those who know him never believed them. Even the only alleged victim ever identified, Curtis Green, is a fervent supporter of Ross’s clemency.

THE DOUBLE LIFE + 40-YEAR SENTENCE

None of the other defendants related to the case received sentences above ten years, including those behind Silk Road 2.0, a larger replica. Most of them are free today.

Ross’s judge used uncharged allegations that were never ruled on by a jury to justify her sentence, in violation of the Sixth Amendment. She also violated the First Amendment by sentencing Ross, in part, on what she believed was his political philosophy.

“…such a sentence should, at the very least, be reserved for the worst crimes committed by repeat offenders…Ross’s crime is nowhere near that category and his sentence was grossly excessive.”
– Shon Hopwood. Law Professor, Georgetown University

THE REAL, UNTOLD STORY

The Real, Untold Story is the most comprehensive, researched behind-the-scenes narrative about the creation, investigation and shutdown of Silk Road, and the prosecution of Ross Ulbricht. With over 400 references to direct evidence and source material, it contains never-before-seen information about what really happened in the Silk Road case.

It goes much deeper than the often superficial, inaccurate and sensationalized media coverage.

Read

THE SILK ROAD CASE

The investigation, trial and sentencing were riddled with corruption and violations, including:

Fourth Amendment
digital privacy Violations

Two corrupt federal investigators
(sent to prison)

Corruption, favorable evidence and more hidden from the jury

Proof of multiple DPR administrators (hidden from the jury)

Proof of
evidence tampering found after trial

Mishandling of
critical
evidence

Defense
cross-examination repeatedly blocked

Defense witnesses prevented from testifying

Parallel construction and misstatements used to convict Ross

Evidence of
NSA
involvement

With his mom, Lyn. USP Florence – July 2018

This is Ross’s 8th year in prison. He was an idealistic entrepreneur who never intended harm. He has taken responsibility for his mistake and deeply regrets it. He has learned his lesson the hard way. If released tomorrow, he would never break the law again.

Ross clings to the hope of a second chance and dreams of a future where he can start a family, contribute to society and inspire change as an advocate for criminal justice reform.

This has been a long, hard fight but we remain hopeful and optimistic. We are not a wealthy family though and we cannot do this alone. We are just regular people working every day to get Ross some relief.

Please join us, not just for Ross, but against injustice and for your rights.

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