He grew rich as a result, apparently reaping “commissions worth more than $13m generated from the illicit sales conducted through the site”.
“He was the poster boy [of the dark net] with Silk Road, because he had the most romantic nickname, Dread Pirate Roberts, and so everyone focused on him, including the FBI,” said Dr Simon Moores, chair of the International ECrime Congress. “He was foolishly provocative, and that is a big mistake to make in a democracy like the US.”