Online, he went by the name “Dread Pirate Roberts” and ran what authorities called “the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet today.”
But his real name, according to an FBI criminal complaint released Wednesday, was Ross William Ulbricht. And despite allegedly operating a sprawling black market bazaar that earned $1.2 billion in sales, the 29-year-old lived a humble lifestyle, paying $1,000 a month for a room in a San Francisco apartment he shared with two roommates.
On Wednesday, the FBI said they had arrested Ulbricht and shut down his website, Silk Road, which had become a booming marketplace for illegal drugs, computer hacking tools and other illicit goods and services.
Ulbricht had been operating the site since January 2011 under the online nickname “Dread Pirate Roberts,” an apparent reference to a fictional character from “The Princess Bride” book and movie, according to the FBI.
James' World 2 