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| Silk Road drug website founder Ross Ulbricht jailed | Silk Road drug website founder Ross Ulbricht jailed |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The founder of online illegal drug marketplace "The Silk Road", Ross Ulbricht, has been sentenced to life in prison. | The founder of online illegal drug marketplace "The Silk Road", Ross Ulbricht, has been sentenced to life in prison. |
| Prosecutors say that his dark web site sold more than $200m (£131m) worth of drugs anonymously. | Prosecutors say that his dark web site sold more than $200m (£131m) worth of drugs anonymously. |
| He was found guilty of charges including conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking. | He was found guilty of charges including conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking. |
| The site was shut down in 2013 after police arrested Ulbricht. | The site was shut down in 2013 after police arrested Ulbricht. |
| In February he was was convicted by a federal court in New York of operating the site for nearly three years from 2011. | |
| Users used the online currency Bitcoin to purchase drugs such as heroin, cocaine and LSD. | Users used the online currency Bitcoin to purchase drugs such as heroin, cocaine and LSD. |
| The untraceable deals earned him at least $18m. | The untraceable deals earned him at least $18m. |
| Prosecutors say that six people who died from overdoses bought drugs via the site. | Prosecutors say that six people who died from overdoses bought drugs via the site. |
| The dark web | The dark web |
| The Silk Road was only accessible on the dark web, a part of the internet that requires the specialist Tor software to access. | The Silk Road was only accessible on the dark web, a part of the internet that requires the specialist Tor software to access. |
| Tor was created by the US government to help provide activists with anonymity but is now often used to mask illegal transactions. | Tor was created by the US government to help provide activists with anonymity but is now often used to mask illegal transactions. |
| As well as drugs, the Silk Road also offered hacking equipment and stolen passports. | As well as drugs, the Silk Road also offered hacking equipment and stolen passports. |
| Prosecutors had sought the heavy sentence as a deterrent. | Prosecutors had sought the heavy sentence as a deterrent. |
| US District Judge Katherine Forrest told Ulbricht that he was "no better a person than any other drug dealer". | US District Judge Katherine Forrest told Ulbricht that he was "no better a person than any other drug dealer". |
| "There must be no doubt that lawlessness will not be tolerated," she told a tearful Ulbricht. | "There must be no doubt that lawlessness will not be tolerated," she told a tearful Ulbricht. |
| Ulbricht had expressed remorse and had written to the judge begging to not receive a life sentence as it was akin to a death sentence. | Ulbricht had expressed remorse and had written to the judge begging to not receive a life sentence as it was akin to a death sentence. |
| "I know you must take away my middle years," he wrote. "but please leave me my old age." | "I know you must take away my middle years," he wrote. "but please leave me my old age." |