Founder of dark web drug marketplace The Silk Road pardoned by Donald Trump
Donald Trump has announced a ‘full and unconditional’ pardon for Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the dark web drug market known as The Silk Road.
Ulbricht was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison for running the underground marketplace, which saw over $200 million of illicit trade conducted using bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced he had pardoned Ulbricht following a call with his mother, ‘in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly’.
‘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,’ he added. ‘He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous.’
During his trial, Ulbricht was found guilty of money laundering, computer hacking and conspiracy to commit drug trafficking.
Prosecutors also accused him of soliciting six murders-for-hire, including one against a former Silk Road employee, although this was never proved in court.
Ulbricht ran the site using the alias Dread Pirate Roberts, a reference to the 1987 film The Princess Bride. The handle has since become a title used by many different people and organisations running dark web markets.
The Silk Road, named after historic trade routes spanning Europe, Asia and parts of Africa, was among the first and most popular of the dark net markets, spreading through word of mouth.
Users could only access the site using Tor – a heavily encrypted browser which allows users to browse the web without revealing any personal or locational information.
Court documents from the FBI suggest the site had at least a million users, although the real figures are unknown and could be much higher.
During his trial, a judge told Ulbricht he was ‘no better a person than any other drug dealer’, and warned of severe consequences for any copycats he may have inspired.
But following his conviction, there has been a strong push for his release by the Libertarian Party, who have called for the decriminalisation and legalisation of all drugs.
Trump spoke at the Libertarian party’s national convention in May last year, and announced plans to commute Ulbricht’s sentence once elected. The move has since been praised by party officials and lawmakers who saw his arrest as an example of government overreach.
Angela McArdle, the chair of the Libertarian National Committee, responded by saying: ‘Ross Ulbricht has been a libertarian political prisoner for more than a decade. I’m proud to say that saving his life has been one of our top priorities and that has finally paid off.’
Ulbricht’s lawyer, Joshua Dratel, said in an email he was ‘extremely gratified that an injustice has been corrected’, the Guardian reports. The pardon ensured that Ulbricht ‘can have a life ahead of him to be the productive person he could have been all these years’.
He has been imprisoned at a federal prison in Arizona and it was not immediately clear when he would be released.
Republican congressman Thomas Massie, a Trump ally, also applauded the president’s decision.
‘Thank you for keeping your word to me and others who have been advocating for Ross’ freedom,’ said the Kentucky lawmaker.
The move comes as part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to transform the US into the crypto capital of the world, pledging to reverse many Biden-era regulations on digital currencies.
Many of the leading cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, have surged in value following his electoral victory last November.
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