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President Donald Trump formally signed a “full and unconditional” pardon for Silk Road mastermind Ross Ulbricht on Tuesday.
The President fulfilled another campaign promise by commuting Ulbricht’s two life sentences plus 40 years without parole for his role in the notorious dark web marketplace.
Trump called Ulbricht’s mother to inform her that he had signed a “full and unconditional pardon” for her son.
“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 wrote on Truth Social.
The President added that Ross Ulbricht’s two life sentences, plus 40 years of imprisonment, were “ridiculous.”
FREEDOM!!!! pic.twitter.com/itRuuyFAxe
— Free_Ross (@Free_Ross) January 22, 2025
Ulbricht’s case gained widespread attention among the crypto community, with supporters calling for clemency for Ross Ulbricht.
Following Trump’s post, the Free Ross campaign account expressed gratitude to the President for keeping his promise.
“Words can’t express how grateful we’re,” the campaign page wrote on X. “President Trump is a man of his word and he just saved Ross’s life. ROSS IS A FREE MAN!!!!!”
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Ross was just granted a FULL AND UNCONDITIONAL PARDON by @realDonaldTrump. Words can’t express how grateful we’re.
President Trump is a man of his word and he just saved Ross’s life. ROSS IS A FREE MAN!!!!!— Free_Ross (@Free_Ross) January 21, 2025
Ross Ulbricht’s Silk Road Saga
Ulbricht, who turned 40 in March 2024, was convicted of seven counts related to his operation of Silk Road. The dark web marketplace facilitated the sale of illegal drugs and other illicit items using Bitcoin, including distributing narcotics.
US prosecutors noted that the site had facilitated over 1.5 million transactions worth approximately $213 million.
Ross Ulbricht was arrested in 2013 after he admitted creating Silk Road and was sentenced to life in jail in 2015 without the possibility of parole.
President Trump first voiced support for Ross Ulbricht during the Libertarian National Convention in May 2024, promising to commute his sentence on “day one” if re-elected.
Following Trump’s victory in the November elections, Ulbricht expressed gratitude to those who voted for the Republican on his behalf.
“I trust him to honor his pledge and give me a second chance. After 11+ years in darkness, I can finally see the light of freedom at the end of the tunnel,” Ross Ulbricht posted on X.
President Trump’s key industry-related promises include establishing a Bitcoin strategic stockpile, establishing a Crypto Presidential Advisory Council, repealing SAB 121, and turning the U.S. into a “Bitcoin mining powerhouse.”
The post Silk Road Creator Ross Ulbricht is Free, President Trump Signs ‘Unconditional’ Pardon appeared first on Cryptonews.
