$28M in bitcoins seized from man suspected of running Silk Road drug website

NEW YORK - The United States Attorney in New York says about $28 million worth of bitcoins have been seized from a man charged with operating a notorious online drug marketplace known as Silk Road.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said Friday more than 144,000 bitcoins were found on computer hardware belonging to Ross William Ulbricht.

Federal authorities in New York have charged Ulbricht with three felonies related to the operation of the website. He was sent to New York from California earlier this month.

The federal public defender who represented Ulbricht in California declined to comment. His New York attorney didn't immediately return messages.

Silk Road gained notoriety as a black market bazaar where drugs could be bought and sold using bitcoins, a form of online cash.

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  This artist rendering shows Ross William Ulbricht, right, appearing in Federal Court with his public defender Brandon LeBlanc, left, in San Francisco on Friday, Oct. 4, 2013. (AP / Vicki Behringer)