I listen to the book American Kingpin on Audible a couple of years ago. I wanted Ross to get away with it, but what I want doesn't matter.
He did indeed order hits on people, but he was dealing with undercover federal agents. One of those agents eventually went to prison for sealing bitcoins.
At the most Ross Ulbricht should have received twenty years in prison, but it isn't about justice it is about revenge. They try to make the feds in this book look like heroes, but anyone with average intelligence can see how the feds dropped the ball multiple times. It shouldn't have taken so long to catch the guy. Things like law enforcement going to the wrong address.
If my memory serves me right they caught the guy because they went to a forum where Ross created a username to advertise his website. Ross used his personal email to create his user account. This was after the feds spent millions trying to catch him.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Kingpin-Criminal-Mastermind-Behind/dp/1591848148