Trump forgives the creator of the Silk Road dark web market, Ross Ulbricht
The US President, Donald Trump, announced he issued a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the operator of Silk Road, a dark web marketplace that facilitated the sale of illicit substances. Ulbricht faced conviction in 2015 in New York for involvement in drug trafficking and money laundering, receiving a life sentence.
Trump supported Ulbricht’s cause, aligning with libertarians who criticized the conviction as government overreach. He personally informed Ulbricht’s mother of the pardon. Silk Road, closed in 2013 after Ulbricht’s arrest, operated using Bitcoin for drug sales, hacking tools, and stolen passports.
Ulbricht, also known as Dread Pirate Roberts, was found guilty of drug trafficking, money laundering, and computer hacking. The prosecution claimed Silk Road anonymously sold over $200 million in drugs but lacked evidence of the alleged murder-for-hire schemes.
Ulbricht’s arrest in 2013 in San Francisco library stemmed from an undercover operation. Despite the sentencing judge’s remarks, other illicit marketplaces emerged following Silk Road’s closure. Trump’s decision to grant clemency to Ulbricht was welcomed by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, a Trump supporter and advocate for Ulbricht’s release.
