Why do people think Ross Ulbricht doesn't belong in prison? Not trying to troll, a genuine question.

So I've been reading a lot about the general opinion on here about Ross Ulbricht. Basically everyone (mostly) thinks he should go home, that he hasn't done anything wrong, and that the government is just out to get him.

Why does everyone just skate over the fact that HE PUT A HIT OUT ON SOMEONE. I don't care what the circumstances were, murder is never justifiable. I love drugs, and I love what Ross did for the drug-taking community. But just because he set up a cool network does not excuse him (in my opinion) from attempting to have someone murdered. I'm not here to incite anything, I'm just genuinely curious, why do you think he should be released? Any other thoughts or feelings on the matter?


Comments


[5 Points] None:

It's not the crime I'm concerned about, it's the justification of sentencing.

If I would have murdered a man (pre-meditated) I'd be out before Ross.

If I would have raped and killed a child, I would would be out before Ross.

If I was a crime lord getting arrested because of "Tax Evasion", I would be out before Ross.

But no, Ross simply instituted a market of drugs and operated a crime syndicate worth millions of dollars.

Should he be punished? Yes, however the extent and justification is over done.


[4 Points] RosyPalm:

Why does everyone just skate over the fact that HE PUT A HIT OUT ON SOMEONE.

No one skates over this fact. It's the defining point between reality and the Free Ross Brigade.

On the reality side, that is when Silk Road stopped being a political statement and became a criminal enterprise. We even have, thanks to Ross's journal, a unique insight into how an individual makes such a decision.

On the Free Ross Brigade side, you just ignore reality and hope the saps still keep hitting that donate button. Ross is never getting out of prison. He didn't want any deals and took his chances. He lost.

https://youtu.be/tR3XY6wfSBw


[2 Points] NASBNJ1992:

Nothing about the murders were brought up at trial so that point is moot.

He doesn't belong in jail for life, but he definitely was an OPSEC nightmare if there ever pleasing


[2 Points] None:

He deserves prison which is a very very hard fucking thing for me to admit. He however does NOT deserve life without parole. The man ran a criminal enterprise just like the mob. Thats how the US govt sees it. Though TONS of reputed mobsters with actual murder convection got off with less punishment.


[2 Points] None:

It was the harsh sentence we oppose.He was overly punished for inventing a market that cant be stopped.


[2 Points] FrozenMCVegetableCok:

The murder allegations were more of an attempt to frame the case as an organized crime operation. They were trying to undercut any ability for Ross's defense to portray him in any positive light as enabling a safe exchange of drugs as well as a community with harm reduction information. Any idealism would be sullied by the link to "organized crime like behavior and hits".

They couldn't even charge him with the murders for hire once the reality of their evidence and illegality of how it was obtained came out.

He didn't deserve the sentence he got. It's not justice, it's not fair in light of the sentences handed down for other crimes. Going to jail may have saved his life though. If you read some of his journal entries, he started coming apart at the seems under pressure and looking to questionable people for mentorship.


[1 Points] DEA_Agent_John:

The US government only has power if the citizens wants it. We do not live in a police state and we do not live in a nation where people should be made an example of. We have greater problems that what people want to put in their bodies, such as ISIS or russia. What Ross did is wrong yes. Should he be in jail yes. Should he spend the rest of his life in jail? no. The crime does not fit the punishment and this shows how fucked up the system is in america right now.

Attempting to have someone murdered is not a crime that dictates a life setence and neither is being smarter than LE.


[1 Points] randomnumberx:

The trial was not fair, he has grounds for an appeal, for sure. The sentence is way the hell out of proportion for what he allegedly did.