American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road

After taking down the hacker group known as LulzSec, the New York Cyber Division team members celebrated at their regular Manhattan bar, the Whiskey Tavern. Meg, the bartender, greeted them and directed them to the back room, which the bar reserved specifically for the FBI cybercrime crew. The group observed its rituals, calling Miller High Life “champagne” and downing the bar’s specialty: whiskey shots followed by pickle juice.

Tom Brown, an assistant US attorney, joined the gathering and pressed FBI special agent Chris Tarbell about the next target. He proposed the team pursue the Silk Road, noting that other agencies had failed to crack it. This suggestion set the FBI’s sights on a new investigation.

In summer 2012, Ross moved to San Francisco and stayed with his friend René Pinnell and his girlfriend, Selena. He adopted a routine of managing the Silk Road from Momi Toby’s café, choosing a seat with his back to the wall and using free Wi‑Fi to work unobserved.

Online, Ross clashed with his adviser Variety Jones over ideology. VJ argued they were criminals and urged Ross to hire a top lawyer, but Ross refused. VJ then asked for a 50/50 partnership, which Ross rejected; he intended to retain total control and briefly stopped communicating with VJ.