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Ross Ulbricht, the former leader of Silk Road, was officially released after President Donald Trump granted him full and unconditional clemency. Trump announced the decision on Tuesday (22/01/2025) through his personal account on the Truth Social platform, where he revealed that he had contacted Ulbricht’s mother to deliver the news.
“I just called Ross William Ulbricht’s mother to tell her that to the great honor and support of the Libertarian Movement, I have signed a full pardon for her son,” Trump wrote in his post.
Ulbricht was previously sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years without parole for crimes related to Silk Road, an online black market that used Bitcoin for illegal transactions. He has been in a maximum security prison in Arizona since 2015.
Trump denounced the sentence as “ridiculous” and stated that the decision was influenced more by political motives than real justice. The 45th US president also took a swipe at those who saw the case as part of a political agenda, calling it “revenge politics”.
The History of Silk Road and the Charges against Ulbricht
Silk Road, launched by Ulbricht in 2011 under the alias “Dread Pirate Roberts,” allowed users to buy and sell illegal goods, including drugs, on the dark web. During its operation, Silk Road recorded transactions of more than 9.5 million items worth more than US$1.2 billion, generating commissions of around $80 million.
In 2015, Ulbricht was found guilty of drug trafficking, money laundering and hacking conspiracy. Prosecutors claimed that he had made millions of dollars in Bitcoin, making him one of the most notorious figures in the world of cybercrime. The New York court’s decision handed down one of the harshest sentences for a non-violent crime.
Senator Rand Paul’s Letter and Political Pressure
Despite numerous appeals, including to the Supreme Court, the decision to convict Ulbricht remained unchanged. However, in January 2025, a letter from Senator Rand Paul posted on X (formerly Twitter) influenced Trump’s decision. Paul, known as a prominent Libertarian, urged Trump to commute Ulbricht’s sentence, mentioning that he was surprised by the severity of the sentence imposed on a non-violent offender like Ulbricht.
“Mr. Ulbricht is serving two life sentences plus 40 years without parole for nonviolent offenses. Like many, I am appalled by the severity of the sentence imposed on this first offender,” Paul wrote in his letter.
Senator Paul also highlighted that while the major drug dealers operating on Silk Road were involved in trafficking larger quantities of illegal goods, they received much lighter sentences.
Reaction to Trump’s Pardon
Trump’s decision to grant Ulbricht a full pardon received mixed reactions. Ulbricht’s supporters hailed the move as courageous and an attempt to right an injustice. They say that Ulbricht was punished too severely for a crime that did not involve direct violence.
However, critics consider the pardon a misguided decision. They argue that the move could send the wrong message about law enforcement against cybercrime and illegal transactions on the internet.
Trump himself stated that Ulbricht’s sentence was a form of “revenge politics” against him and supporters of the Libertarian Movement. He called the parties involved in this case “crazy people” who were also responsible for his persecution.
Trump’s decision to release Ross Ulbricht has shaken the world, especially in terms of justice, law enforcement policies related to cybercrime, and its impact on the Libertarian movement in the United States.