FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Defense Fund Launched for Ross Ulbricht, Accused Silk Road Marketplace Operator New York, NY, November 20, 2013 – The family of the man accused by the US government of operating the Silk Road online marketplace has launched a fund for donations to their son's legal defense. Ross Ulbricht, 29, was arrested on October 1st and charged with creating and operating the web marketplace Silk Road, under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts”. The allegations include a variety of conspiracies, including narcotics trafficking, computer hacking and money laundering, as well as planned acts of violence. Ulbricht denied all charges in federal court in San Francisco in October. He will appear at a bail hearing at the United States District Court, Southern District of New York at 11:00 am EST on Thursday, November 21. On their website, the Ulbricht family states: “Our goal is to provide Ross with what every American citizen is promised: a fair trial. In the USA we are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. We firmly believe in Ross’s innocence and are working hard with the best legal team to prove it.” The family has retained New York-based attorney Joshua L. Dratel to defend their son in court. Mr. Dratel stated: “It is crucial that we have a level playing field for defending Ross, and that requires resources from the communities that support him.” The Ross Ulbricht Legal Defense Fund LLC is a Wyoming-based corporation established by the Ulbricht family. All donations are used solely to pay attorney fees, fund accounting fees and ancillary legal expenses. ### SOURCE: Ross Ulbricht Legal Defense Fund LLC, www.freeross.org CONTACTS: Joshua L. Dratel Joshua L. Dratel, P.C. 29 Broadway, Suite 1412 New York, New York 10006 United States of America jdratel@joshuadratel.com Office: +1 212 732 0707 Fax: +1 212 571 3792 www.nycriminallawfirm.com Ross Ulbricht Legal Defense Fund LLC www.freeross.org freerossulbricht@gmail.com