logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2025
54m 55s

FROM THE VAULT - Episode 291 - The Silk ...

Wondery | RedHanded
About this episode

With Ross Ulbricht now a free man thanks to his recent presidential pardon we thought it would a good idea to look back at who he is, what he did, and what he represented as "The Dread Pirate Roberts". So enjoy our episode from all the way back in March 2023 for some all important context on the internets iconic drug kingpin, and decide for yourself: Should he be walking free?

--

For some, the end of the world's most infamous online marketplace was a major victory in the never ending war on drugs. But for others, the global, multi-agency investigation into the Silk Road set a dangerous precedent for law enforcement – who rifled through the personal data of countless innocent users in their hunt for the elusive online drug-lord/revolutionary: Dread Pirate Roberts.

So prepare for a trip on the Silk Road, and find out how a tax inspector hanging out on a hallucinogenic mushroom forum caught one of the most slippery criminals we’ve ever covered.

Exclusive bonus content:

Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHand

Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes

Follow us on social media:

YouTube

TikTok

Instagram

X

Visit our website:

Website

Sources available on redhandedpodcast.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Aug 21
Confessions LIVE in NYC | #413
Recorded LIVE in New York’s Town Hall in front of a sold-out crowd, RedHanded’s Confessions Tour show takes in everything from Mormon sex scandals to intergalactic baby-making missions to save the planet. Plus: more than we ever wanted to know about our lovely audience…For the fu ... Show More
1h 36m
Aug 14
Iqbal Masih: Enslaved, Empowered, Assassinated | #412
Sold into slavery at just four years old, Iqbal Masih’s future was not bright. He was set to be one of the millions of children and adults across Asia trapped in bonded labour. But Iqbal was no ordinary child: he would escape slavery, campaign tirelessly to free fellow children, ... Show More
54m 32s
Aug 7
Football’s Abuse Scandal: The FA’s Darkest Secret | #411
In 2016, ex-footballer Andy Woodward revealed on live TV that he and countless other boys were sexually abused by their former youth coach, Barry Bennell, whilst training in Manchester City and Crewe Alexandra’s acclaimed “football factories” as youngsters in the 1980s and 90s. I ... Show More
1h 15m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
Listen Now: Criminal Lives
What drives a regular person to risk it all in the criminal underworld? On Wondery's Criminal Lives, host Danny Gold takes you inside the minds of some of America’s most successful black market entrepreneurs. From a larger-than-life steroids kingpin to the self described "Origina ... Show More
5m 11s
Dec 2024
Listen Now: Criminal Lives
What drives a regular person to risk it all in the criminal underworld? On Wondery's Criminal Lives, host Danny Gold takes you inside the minds of some of America’s most successful black market entrepreneurs. From a larger-than-life steroids kingpin to the self described "Origina ... Show More
5m 11s
Apr 2025
Samuel Little: America's Most Prolific Serial Killer
Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong examines the chilling case of Samuel Little, the most prolific serial killer in United States history. For nearly four decades, Little preyed on the society’s most vulnerable, evading justice as he carried out a staggering nu ... Show More
47m 30s
Mar 2025
Albert Fish, The Real-Life Boogeyman: A Conversation with True Crime Author Harold Schechter
Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong examines the case of Albert Fish. Though he appeared harmless, Fish was anything but; his crimes were fueled by a disturbing blend of sadism, cruelty, and unimaginable depravity. Candice unpacks the disturbing psychology behi ... Show More
46m 47s
Apr 2023
Sly Stone: Guns, PCP, a Psycho Mutt, and a Fugitive from Justice
At the end of the 1960s, Sly Stone was at the center of a groundbreaking musical movement that intended to break down barriers of race and genre, all in the service of making people happy. But at the dawn of the 1970s, Sly Stone suddenly was not happy. His L.A. mansion was overru ... Show More
42m 49s
Dec 2021
Episode 5 - Willy D
A violent self-styled gangster who carries knives, deals and uses illegal drugs, and attacks men and women in the sugar and mining town looms into serious view for homicide cops. William Daniel is a young man with a long criminal record who calls himself ‘The Black Prince’ and ‘W ... Show More
1h 1m
Dec 2024
EP100: Sh*tty Diddy (Part 1)
Visit Patreon.com/psychopediapod to join our family of freaks and gain access to exclusive content!Disclaimer: The content discussed in this podcast is based on publicly available information and represents allegations only. Sean Combs, also known as Diddy, is entitled to the pre ... Show More
2h 15m
Jul 2024
Dennis Rader: BTK Part I
In the first half of this two-part episode, retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong explores the case of Dennis Rader, also known as BTK. Over 17 years, Rader tortured and murdered 10 people, while playing a game of cat and mouse with law enforcement and the media. ... Show More
50m 43s