Trump pardons Ross Ulbricht, founder of illicit marketplace Silk Road

US President Donald Trump kept his word and pardoned the famous cybercriminal Ross Ulbricht, who was previously sentenced to life in prison. The pardon was anticipated because Trump had previously promised to reduce his sentence to time served if he won the 2024 election.

“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

“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!”

Ross was just granted a FULL AND UNCONDITIONAL PARDON by @realDonaldTrump. Words cannot express how grateful we are.

President Trump is a man of his word and he just saved Ross's life. ROSS IS A FREE MAN!!!!!

undefined Free_Ross (@Free_Ross) January 21, 2025

Ulbricht was arrested in 2013 and convicted in 2015 for creating and running the darknet marketplace known as Silk Road. At the time, Silk Road was one of the first and largest illicit places to buy and sell illegal drugs, get fake passports or driver’s licenses, hire hit men, computer hackers, or other illicit products and services with bitcoin.

Ulbricht ran the site under the pseudonym Dread Pirate Roberts, after the fictional character from The Princess Bride. Now 40, he was found guilty of conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, money laundering, and computer hacking, the BBC reports.

The US Attorney’s Office estimated that Ulbricht’s platform was used by more than 100,000 Users to buy and sell more than $200 Million worth of drugs and unlawful goods and services.

FREEDOM!!!! pic.twitter.com/itRuuyFAxe

undefined Free_Ross (@Free_Ross) January 22, 2025

“Make no mistake: Ulbricht was a drug dealer and criminal profiteer who exploited people’s addictions and contributed to the deaths of at least six young people. Ulbricht went from hiding his cybercrime identity to becoming the face of cybercrime,” Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara said in 2015.

Significant public attention and support led to a long-running running “Free Ross” campaign. Ulbricht at his sentencing noted that he wanted “to empower people to make choices in their lives and have privacy and anonymity.” Some argued that Ulbricht’s sentence was disproportionate to his crimes.

The New York Post explains that Trump’s campaign vow pleased many Libertarians, who champion Ulbricht as a pioneer of free markets.