Trump grants pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road black market
On Tuesday night, President Trump announced that he had issued a “full and unconditional” pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the individual behind Silk Road, an online marketplace that facilitated the buying and selling of illegal drugs.
The president revealed his decision via Truth Social.
“I just spoke with Ross William Ulbright’s mother to inform her that, in recognition of her and the Libertarian Movement’s strong support for me, I was pleased to sign a full and unconditional pardon for her son, Ross,” he wrote, misspelling Ulbricht’s last name.
Using the alias “Dread Pirate Roberts,” Ulbricht was sentenced in 2015 to life imprisonment for his role in creating and managing Silk Road from January 2011 to October 2013.
According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the drugs sold on Silk Road have been associated with at least six overdose fatalities worldwide.
Now 40 years old, Ulbricht was 31 when he was convicted.
Trump characterized Ulbricht’s sentencing as “the modern day weaponization of government.”
“He received two life sentences plus 40 years. That’s outrageous!” Trump stated.
Silk Road allowed numerous drug traffickers to sell “illegal drugs” to over 100,000 buyers and to “launder hundreds of millions of dollars from these illegal activities,” as per information from ICE.
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy serves as a White House Correspondent. Follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal.