Home / Markets News & Opinions / Mother Of Convicted Silk Road Founder, Lyn Ulbricht, Suffers Heart Attack

Mother Of Convicted Silk Road Founder, Lyn Ulbricht, Suffers Heart Attack

Last Updated March 4, 2021 4:45 PM
Justin OConnell
Last Updated March 4, 2021 4:45 PM

Lyn Ulbricht, the mother of Ross Ulbricht, the man convicted of running the online dark web marketplace Silk Road, has suffered a heart attack according to the Free Ross official Twitter account.

Mrs Ulbricht has expressed shock and worry over the arrest of her child, Ross. She has been a tireless campaigner in her son’s case.

Despite the conviction, Ross Ulbricht enjoys myriad supporters, including many well-known celebrities, such as Russell Brand, Joe Rogan and Alex Winter. Mrs Ulbricht appears in the latter’s documentary, Deep Web. As she told The Bold Italic :

I know that Ross did not create the site as a drug site. He is a free-market libertarian who believes people have a right to do with their bodies what they want. I know his intentions. We often discussed all these things before he was arrested. He created a video game to give players the experience of a free market. He gave lectures on it at University of Texas.

Ms Ulbricht believes New York Senator Charles Schumer played a roll in bringing her son before a court of law. Schumer made headlines when calling for the investigation and closing by federal law enforcement of the Silk Road.

Ross Ulbricht, meanwhile, appealed his conviction on the grounds of government corruption after mai investigators on his case were convicted of laundering funds and stealing funds during their investigation of Ulbricht.

After Ulbricht wrote a letter to Judge Katherine Forrest to “leave a light at the end of the tunnel” in sentencing and to “leave me my old age,” the judge did not.

Ulbricht received the harshest sentence possible, including a 20-year life sentence, one for five years, one for 15 years and two for life, all served concurrently and without the possibility of parole. Forrest said that Ulbricht’s privilege did not earn him a lenient sentence. And so the 31-year-old will pay the ultimate price if appeals fail.

Several studies have been conducted looking into the effect of prison terms on the family members of incarcerated loved ones. However, most of the studies revolve around the impact on children of their parent’s incarceration. A common reported impact on children was increased anxiety and the child’s sense of loss and responsibility for the incarceration of their parent.

The Ulbricht family fate is not uncommon for the US, where 1 out of 100  is incarcerated.