U.S.
President Donald Trump granted a full and unconditional pardon to Ross
Ulbricht, the founder of the infamous darknet marketplace Silk Road, who had
been serving multiple life sentences for operating the platform that
facilitated over $200 million in illicit trade using Bitcoin (BTC).
The
40-year-old Ulbricht, who had been imprisoned in Arizona, was arrested in 2013
and sentenced in 2015 for running what prosecutors described as a global black
market bazaar used by more than 100,000 people to trade illegal drugs and other
illicit services.
Trump
announced the decision on his Truth Social platform, criticizing those involved
in Ulbricht’s conviction and highlighting support from the Libertarian movement.
The pardon fulfills a campaign promise Trump made during a speech at the
Libertarian National Convention.
Immense gratitude to everyone who voted for President Trump on my behalf. I trust him to honor his pledge and give me a second chance.
After 11+ years in darkness, I can finally see the light of freedom at the end of the tunnel. Thank you so much, @realDonaldTrump 🙏
— Ross Ulbricht (@RealRossU) November 12, 2024
“I just
called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her
and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my
pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,”
Trump
commented.
“The scum
that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in
the modern day weaponization of government against me.”
Who Is Ross Ulbricht?
Ulbricht
operated Silk Road under the alias “Dread Pirate Roberts” from 2011
to 2013, creating a platform that leveraged the Tor network for anonymous
communications and bitcoin for payments
