Donald Trump, the former US president, has fulfilled his campaign promise to pardon Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the infamous darknet marketplace Silk Road. Ulbricht's case, which involved narcotics trafficking and money laundering, was highly debated due to inconsistencies and allegations of corruption. Trump criticized the severity of Ulbricht's sentence, calling it 'ridiculous'.
Donald Trump , the United States President, has officially pardoned Ross Ulbricht , the founder of Silk Road . Trump made this announcement in May 2024, stating his intention to pardon Ulbricht on his first day in office if re-elected.
True to his word, President Trump fulfilled his promise, 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.' Ross Ulbricht was arrested in October 2013 at the Glen Park Branch Library in San Francisco. At the time, he was a 30-year-old Ph.D. student studying solar cells. He was known by the pseudonym 'Dread Pirate Roberts' (DPR) and faced charges for being the mastermind behind one of the largest darknet marketplaces of its time, Silk Road. Launched in 2011, Silk Road gained notoriety for its use of the Tor network and Bitcoin (BTC) as its primary currency. It operated as a platform where users could anonymously purchase drugs, particularly MDMA, without revealing their personal information. Silk Road's adoption of Bitcoin played a pivotal role in the cryptocurrency's mainstream acceptance, showcasing its speed, security, and anonymity. However, it also contributed to Bitcoin's association with illicit activities. Ulbricht's case was marked by several inconsistencies. He claimed to have created Silk Road but not operated it at the time of his arrest. Allegations of corruption involving key investigators further fueled doubts about the case's integrity. Despite these inconsistencies, Ulbricht was sentenced to double life plus 40 years in prison on seven criminal offenses related to narcotics trafficking, distribution of narcotics via the internet, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. This sentence was significantly harsher than the 5 years and 4 months given to Thomas White, the creator of Silk Road 2.0. Trump, commenting on the sentencing, stated, '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!'
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