Donald Trump pardons notorious dark web Silk Road founder on Day 1

Donald Trump grants pardon to dark website Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, calling his life sentence “ridiculous.”

On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump announced he had granted a pardon to Ross William Ulbricht, the founder of the infamous Silk Road dark web.

Trump fulfills a campaign promise by pardoning Ross Ulbricht, while the case remains controversial due to Ulbricht's criminal activities. (File Images)

Ulbricht, who had been serving a life sentence, was accused of creating “the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet today,” per the US Justice Department.

“I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honour 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 explained on Truth Social.

Trump said Ulbricht’s life sentence is “ridiculous” and disproportionate to the crime, expressing his frustration with the legal figures involved in the case. He called them as “scum” and accused them of participating in the “weaponization of government” against him during his presidency.

What was Silk Road?

Silk Road, a shadowy e-commerce site operating on the dark web, was shut down by the FBI in October 2013. Ulbricht’s arrest followed shortly after authorities traced his email address posted online. He was convicted in February 2015 of multiple charges, including money laundering, drug trafficking, and computer hacking, after a four-week jury trial.

Manhattan attorney during that time Preet Bharara said, “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.”

Notably, speaking at the Libertarian Party’s national convention in Washington, D.C., in May 2024, Trump pledged to commute Ulbricht’s sentence on his first day in office.

“If you vote for me, on Day 1 I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht to a sentence of time served,” Trump said. “He’s already served 11 years. We’re going to get him home.”

Notably, following Trump's campaign promise made to the Libertarian Party, Ulbricht posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Last night, Donald Trump pledged to commute my sentence on day 1, if reelected.”

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. After 11 years in prison, it is hard to express how I feel at this moment. It is thanks to your undying support that I may get a second chance.”