President Donald Trump has pardoned Ross Ulbricht, a man who was given a life sentence for founding the dark web site Silk Road.
Trump has wasted no time getting to work during his second term in the Oval Office.
On Tuesday evening the 78-year-old announced on Truth Social that he has granted a “full and unconditional” pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the infamous dark web marketplace Silk Road.
“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 wrote.
In a pointed comment, he added: “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 was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!”
Ulbricht’s attorney, Brandon Sample, expressed gratitude for the presidential pardon.
“Ross Ulbricht and his family are deeply and eternally grateful to President Trump for his extraordinary act of grace in granting Ross a full and unconditional pardon.
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“After enduring over a decade of incarceration, this decision offers Ross the opportunity to begin anew, to rebuild his life, and to contribute positively to society,” Sample said in an email to The New York Post.
“This moment marks the end of a long and challenging journey for Ross and his loved ones, and they are overwhelmed with gratitude for this life-changing gesture of mercy and justice,” the statement continued.
Ulbricht, now 40, was arrested in October 2013 in San Francisco. Under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts,” he operated Silk Road, a dark web platform where illegal goods, including drugs, were sold using Bitcoin as currency.
In February 2015, he was convicted on charges of drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit money laundering and computer hacking. In May of that year, he was sentenced to two life terms in prison, plus an additional 40 years.
The former president, 78, had previously vowed to reduce Ulbricht’s sentence to time served if re-elected in 2024.
His decision to issue the pardon now has been celebrated by Libertarian supporters, who have long viewed Ulbricht as a symbol of free-market principles.
