Trump Grants Full Pardon to Silk Road Founder Following Campaign Promise
Trump has pardoned Ross William Ulbricht, the founder of the dark web marketplace Silk Road, who was serving a life sentence for charges including drug trafficking and money laundering. The president made the announcement on Truth Social on January 21, 2025, his first full day in office during his second term.
During the pardon announcement, Trump contacted Ulbricht's mother personally to inform her of his decision. He described the original sentence as "ridiculous" and criticized the legal team involved in Ulbricht's conviction, claiming they were part of efforts to target Trump himself during his time in office.
The FBI arrested Ulbricht in October 2013 after linking him to the online alias "Dread Pirate Roberts," named after a character from "The Princess Bride." Under his management, Silk Road grew to nearly one million registered users worldwide, with approximately 30% based in the United States. The site allowed anonymous trading of illegal goods using bitcoin, with transaction volumes reaching $200 million.
In February 2015, following a four-week trial, Ulbricht received two life sentences plus 40 years for charges including drug trafficking, money laundering, and computer hacking. Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated at the time that Ulbricht had "contributed to the deaths of at least six young people." During his trial, Ulbricht maintained that he created the site as an experiment and later transferred control to others, stating his goal was to provide people with choice and privacy.
The pardon fulfills Trump's campaign promise made at the Libertarian Party National Convention in May 2024, where he pledged to commute Ulbricht's sentence on his first day in office. Libertarian activists have long supported Ulbricht's release, viewing his case as an example of government overreach in drug policy enforcement.
Libertarian National Committee Chair Angela McArdle welcomed the decision, describing Ulbricht as "a libertarian political prisoner." The pardon follows Trump's earlier clemency action on January 20, when he cleared the records of approximately 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
