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Portfolio/Penguin An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC 375 Hudson Street New York, New York 10014 Copyright © 2017 by Nick Bilton Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Bilton, Nick, author. Title: American kingpin : the epic hunt for the criminal mastermind behind the Silk Road / Nick Bilton. Description: New York : Portfolio/Penguin, [2017] Identifiers: LCCN 2016050581 (print) | LCCN 2017010337 (ebook) | ISBN 9781591848141 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780698405738 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Ulbrict, Ross, 1984- | Criminals--United States--Case studies. | Computer crimes--Investigation--United States--Case studies. | Black market--United States--Case studies. | Drug traffic--United States--Case studies. | Electronic commerce--United States- -Case studies. Classification: LCC HV6248.U45 B55 2017 (print) | LCC HV6248.U45 (ebook) | DDC 364.16/8092--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016050581 Penguin is committed to publishing works of quality and integrity. In that spirit, we are proud to offer this book to our readers; however, the story, the experiences, and the words are the author’s alone. While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers, Internet addresses, and other contact information at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content. Version_1
Page 4 and 5: For my wife, Chrysta, and our sons,
Page 6 and 7: Contents Title Page Copyright Dedic
Page 8 and 9: 57. Onward to Federal Plaza 58. Jul
Page 10 and 11: Cast of Characters The Silk Road Th
Page 12 and 13: Chapter 1 THE PINK PILL Pink. A tin
Page 14 and 15: door of the person who was supposed
Page 16 and 17: Finally, as the weekend came to a c
Page 18 and 19: Chapter 2 ROSS ULBRICHT Ross, jump
Page 20 and 21: for someone as clever as Ross? No w
Page 22 and 23: and shoes. As they spoke, she was i
Page 24 and 25: Chapter 4 THE DEBATE Students with
Page 26 and 27: Chapter 5 JARED’S KHAT No.” Tha
Page 28 and 29: “Yes, but you’re doing your job
Page 30 and 31: Ross had returned to Texas a few mo
Page 32 and 33: “Oh, honey,” she replied, “it
Page 34 and 35: When he wasn’t watching the show,
Page 36 and 37: Chapter 8 ROSS THE FARMER He had to
Page 38 and 39: Ross was ebullient as he bent down
Page 40 and 41: Chapter 9 OPENING DAY OF THE SILK R
Page 42 and 43: Ross showed her what was for sale a
Page 44 and 45: unbelievably exciting one! Ross was
Page 46 and 47: Chapter 11 THE GAWKER ARTICLE The C
Page 48 and 49: But reassuring Julia that he wasn
Page 50 and 51: “Look,” Ross said, leaning agai
Page 52 and 53:
Chapter 13 JULIA TELLS ERICA Calm w
Page 54 and 55:
“That’s not my responsibility t
Page 56 and 57:
But the next morning, when Ross wen
Page 58 and 59:
Jared began explaining what the Sil
Page 60 and 61:
Chapter 16 FROM AUSTIN TO AUSTRALIA
Page 62 and 63:
PART II
Page 64 and 65:
kicking in a door or two, yelling a
Page 66 and 67:
Chapter 18 VARIETY JONES AND THE SE
Page 68 and 69:
Ross knew this better than anyone.
Page 70 and 71:
Chapter 19 JARED GOES SHOPPING It w
Page 72 and 73:
That evening Jared, Mike, and anoth
Page 74 and 75:
They had become so close that most
Page 76 and 77:
Chapter 21 CARL FORCE IS BORN AGAIN
Page 78 and 79:
Chapter 22 “O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Page 80 and 81:
Chapter 23 ROSS, HANGED OR HOME Ros
Page 82 and 83:
e stuck near the Internet, hovering
Page 84 and 85:
Carl started with what he knew, plu
Page 86 and 87:
In the months since Jared had start
Page 88 and 89:
Chapter 26 THE MUTINY Every founder
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He was now running a real business.
Page 92 and 93:
Chapter 27 A BILLION DOLLARS?! Carl
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Chapter 28 THE ASPIRING BILLIONAIRE
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proudly look at her son, the hero o
Page 98 and 99:
he had written to Dread. “With th
Page 100 and 101:
Chapter 30 THE ARMORY OPENS Ross ha
Page 102 and 103:
With all of this added attention Ro
Page 104 and 105:
After some small talk, Ross asked i
Page 106 and 107:
PART III
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of beers, which cost $4 a pint at t
Page 110 and 111:
Chapter 33 ROSS ARRIVES IN SAN FRAN
Page 112 and 113:
“That field is interstate drug sm
Page 114 and 115:
Chapter 34 CHRIS IN THE PIT It had
Page 116 and 117:
make the same mistake they had with
Page 118 and 119:
than traditional morphine—not to
Page 120 and 121:
Chapter 36 JARED’S DEAD ENDS This
Page 122 and 123:
Chapter 37 A PIRATE IN DOMINICA Wel
Page 124 and 125:
year-old inn that sat along the edg
Page 126 and 127:
and sell drugs on the Silk Road, an
Page 128 and 129:
Years later, when Carl decided to b
Page 130 and 131:
When that detour didn’t work out,
Page 132 and 133:
Another man talked about his experi
Page 134 and 135:
Francisco, he was unable to see how
Page 136 and 137:
time at all DPR had connected him w
Page 138 and 139:
Chapter 41 CURTIS IS TORTURED The l
Page 140 and 141:
“How quickly do you think you can
Page 142 and 143:
The first possibility was the easie
Page 144 and 145:
Chapter 43 THE FBI JOINS THE HUNT I
Page 146 and 147:
Chapter 44 CAMPING AND THE BALL Feb
Page 148 and 149:
snacked on oranges, pistachios, and
Page 150 and 151:
PART IV
Page 152 and 153:
There was no reception desk or wait
Page 154 and 155:
Chapter 46 LIFE AND DEATH ON THE RO
Page 156 and 157:
Ross was fully aware that he needed
Page 158 and 159:
government was the casino; DPR was
Page 160 and 161:
Chapter 48 ROSS GOES UNDERGROUND It
Page 162 and 163:
Unfortunately, this didn’t end th
Page 164 and 165:
Chapter 49 CARL SWITCHES TEAMS The
Page 166 and 167:
Under the guise of Kevin, Carl was
Page 168 and 169:
Like all the other agents in law en
Page 170 and 171:
Chapter 51 TARBELL FINDS A MISTAKE
Page 172 and 173:
“Holy shit!” Tarbell yelled.
Page 174 and 175:
THE FAKE IDS, PART ONE July 10, 201
Page 176 and 177:
This was very unusual, Agent Ramire
Page 178 and 179:
Chapter 53 THE DECONFLICTION MEETIN
Page 180 and 181:
The ground rules of the meeting, De
Page 182 and 183:
That’s it, Gary thought as the ra
Page 184 and 185:
“Of course,” Jared replied as t
Page 186 and 187:
undercover as a worker for the Silk
Page 188 and 189:
But this time things were different
Page 190 and 191:
THE FAKE IDS, PART TWO The gray Jee
Page 192 and 193:
“Before we go,” Dylan said, “
Page 194 and 195:
Tarbell met Jared in the lobby and
Page 196 and 197:
who was visibly perturbed. But Jare
Page 198 and 199:
“Sushi?” he asked. “That soun
Page 200 and 201:
Chapter 59 I AM GOD How does this l
Page 202 and 203:
They went home that evening with a
Page 204 and 205:
toward the World Trade Center on Se
Page 206 and 207:
away from Momi Toby’s café, that
Page 208 and 209:
Chapter 61 THE GOOD-BYE PARTY The b
Page 210 and 211:
PART V
Page 212 and 213:
opened his laptop too. Then, when D
Page 214 and 215:
Chapter 63 CARLA SOPHIA Carl read t
Page 216 and 217:
Chapter 64 FeLiNa The last day of R
Page 218 and 219:
Ross wouldn’t be out long. Maybe
Page 220 and 221:
sirens blaring and lights flashing,
Page 222 and 223:
Chapter 65 ARRESTED 3:15 p.m. One m
Page 224 and 225:
Chapter 66 THE LAPTOP In the corner
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Chapter 67 ROSS LOCKED UP For the f
Page 228 and 229:
didn’t even know were on the mach
Page 230 and 231:
Each day unfurled the same way. Ros
Page 232 and 233:
Chapter 69 TO CATCH A PIRATE All ri
Page 234 and 235:
Chapter 70 SENTENCING Judge Katheri
Page 236 and 237:
another forty years to his sentence
Page 238 and 239:
dangerous than DPR had ever imagine
Page 240 and 241:
Ross’s days now often begin befor
Page 242 and 243:
Chapter 73 THE OTHERS A few days af
Page 244 and 245:
It was evident that Carl had fucked
Page 246 and 247:
Ross Ulbricht. IMAGE RECOVERED FROM
Page 248 and 249:
Ross the Eagle Scout. IMAGE RECOVER
Page 250 and 251:
Senior prom, where Ross ended the e
Page 252 and 253:
Ross Ulbricht and Julia Vie about t
Page 254 and 255:
Gary Alford of the Internal Revenue
Page 256 and 257:
Carl Force of the Drug Enforcement
Page 258 and 259:
This image of Roger Thomas Clark, w
Page 260 and 261:
A section of the detailed diary fou
Page 262 and 263:
Curtis Green being fake-tortured in
Page 264 and 265:
The photo Ross used to obtain fake
Page 266 and 267:
In as many instances as I could, I
Page 268 and 269:
I know my sisters are scanning this
Page 270 and 271:
Nick Bilton is a special correspond
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