Trump Grants Full Pardon to Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht, Serving Life Sentences

Jan 22, 2025, 12:19 AM

President Donald Trump has issued a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road darknet marketplace. Ulbricht, who was convicted in 2015 on charges including drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and computer hacking, was serving two life sentences plus 40 years without the possibility of parole. The Silk Road website facilitated over $200 million in illicit trade, including the sale of narcotics, guns, and other illegal products and services, using Bitcoin as its primary currency. Trump, fulfilling a campaign promise and gaining support from libertarians and privacy advocates, criticized the prosecutors involved in Ulbricht's case as 'scum' and personally called Ulbricht's mother to deliver the news.