President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he had granted a pardon to Ross William Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road dark web marketplace. Ulbricht had been serving a life sentence on charges related to the operation of the shadowy e-commerce site, which the Justice Department had described as 'the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet today.'
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, stating that he had signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ulbricht in honor of his mother and the Libertarian Movement that had supported him. The President criticized Ulbricht's sentence as 'ridiculous' and claimed it was disproportionate to the crime. He also expressed frustration with the legal figures involved in Ulbricht's conviction, calling them 'scum' and accusing them of being part of the 'weaponization of government' against him during his time in office.
The FBI shut down Silk Road in October 2013 and arrested Ulbricht after he allegedly posted his email address online. Ulbricht was found guilty in February 2015 on charges including money laundering, drug trafficking, and computer hacking.
Trump's decision to pardon Ulbricht fulfills a campaign promise he made in May 2024 at the Libertarian Convention in Washington, DC, where he pledged to commute Ulbricht's sentence immediately upon taking office.
The Southern District of New York declined to comment on the pardon, and further inquiries have been made to Bharara for additional information.
