"Promise Kept: Trump Pardons 'Silk Road Founder' Saying 'I'll Get You Out of Jail'"

Trump Announces on Truth Social
Hotbed of Crimes Including Money Laundering, Drugs, and Hacking

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on the 21st (local time) that he has granted a "full and unconditional" pardon to Ross William Ulbricht, the founder of the dark web marketplace 'Silk Road' who was sentenced to life imprisonment. The photo is a capture of the Truth Social post uploaded by Trump. Photo by Trump Truth Social post

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, announced on the 21st (local time) that he has granted a "full and unconditional" pardon to Ross William Ulbricht, the founder of the dark web marketplace 'Silk Road' who was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Former President Donald Trump shared this news on his social media platform Truth Social, stating, "I called Ross William Ulbricht's mother and told her that I am pleased to grant her son Ross a full and unconditional pardon."

Trump said he issued the pardon "to honor Ross's mother and the libertarian movement that strongly supported me," paying tribute to the libertarian camp.

He also described Ulbricht's life sentence as "ridiculous," arguing that the punishment was excessively harsh compared to the crimes committed.

During his 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, Trump introduced pro-cryptocurrency policies to appeal to younger voters. The pardon of Ulbricht was part of his cryptocurrency-related policy promises. According to the cryptocurrency media outlet CoinDesk at the time, Trump said, "If you vote for me, on my first day in office, I will reduce Ulbricht's sentence to time served. He has already served 11 years, and I will bring him home."

According to CNN, the FBI shut down Silk Road and arrested Ulbricht in October 2013. He was accused of posting his own email address online and was found guilty in a February 2015 trial on multiple charges including money laundering, drug trafficking, and computer hacking. He was sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years in prison.

Silk Road was an e-commerce platform based on anonymity and Bitcoin, known as a hotbed of crime. It sparked controversy over the ethical boundaries between free internet use and illegal activities. Libertarians described Ross as a "political martyr," claiming that internet freedom and individual rights were violated.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.