FILE PHOTO: The building of the U.S. Supreme Court is seen in Washington, U.S., June 26, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday refused to consider overturning the conviction and life sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the accused mastermind behind the Silk Road website for the sale of illegal drugs to customers worldwide that was shut down in 2013.

The justices turned down Ulbricht’s appeal in which he claimed that federal agents unlawfully monitored his internet activity to try to connect him to Silk Road’s operation, leading to his arrest and conviction. Ulbricht also argued that his sentence of life in prison with no possibility of parole was unreasonable.