President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he had granted a full pardon to Ross William Ulbricht, the founder of the notorious Silk Road dark web marketplace. Ulbricht had been serving a life sentence on charges related to operating the platform, which the Justice Department once described as “the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet today.”
Trump Criticizes Sentence and Legal System
Trump shared the news on his Truth Social platform, saying, “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.”
Calling Ulbricht’s punishment “ridiculous,” Trump argued that the life sentence was disproportionate to the crimes for which he was convicted. He criticized the legal figures involved in the case, referring to them as “scum” and accusing them of being part of the same group that allegedly sought to weaponize the government against him during his presidency.
Who Is Ross William Ulbricht?
Ulbricht was arrested in October 2013 after the FBI shut down Silk Road. The platform, launched in 2011, allowed users to anonymously trade drugs and other illegal goods and services using Bitcoin. He was found guilty in February 2015 on charges including money laundering, drug trafficking, and computer hacking. According to prosecutors, Silk Road had nearly one million registered users globally, with about 30% based in the United States.
The pardon fulfills a promise Trump made during his 2024 campaign. Speaking at the Libertarian Party’s national convention in Washington, D.C., in May 2024, Trump pledged to commute Ulbricht’s sentence immediately upon taking office.
“If you vote for me, on Day 1 I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht to a sentence of time served,” Trump said. “He’s already served 11 years. We’re going to get him home.”
Libertarian Movement Celebrates the Decision To Pardon Ross William Ulbricht
Libertarian National Committee Chair Angela McArdle welcomed the decision, describing Ulbricht as “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,” McArdle said in a statement, expressing gratitude to Trump for keeping his word.
Prosecutors alleged that Ulbricht operated under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts,” a reference to the character in The Princess Bride. Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara, described Ulbricht as a “drug dealer and criminal profiteer who exploited people’s addictions and contributed to the deaths of at least six young people.”
Also Read: Trump Grants Immigration Authorities Broad Powers To Arrest At Churches, Schools