Murder-for-hire at center of 'Silk Road' NY trial starting Tuesday for San Francisco man

Murder-for-hire allegations are central to a New York trial starting this week for a San Francisco man charged with running an online black market where drugs were sold as easily as books and electronics.

Federal Judge Katherine Forrest overruled defense objections in letting evidence about murder plots into Ross William Ulbricht's trial. Prosecutors say Ulbricht ran an underground website known as Silk Road, where hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, heroin and other drugs were sold to over 100,000 customers.

Ulbricht has pleaded not guilty and is disputing that he operated online under a "Dread Pirate Roberts" alias. That's an apparent reference to a swashbuckling character in the 1987 comedy "The Princess Bride."

Prospective jurors have filled out questionnaires. Formal jury selection starts Tuesday when potential jurors will be questioned orally.