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One of Trump’s pardons was founder of the dark web’s Silk Road

Emboldened by what he considers a sweeping mandate, Donald Trump has hit the ground running in his first couple days in office as the world looks on horrified for the future.

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On Monday, he issued 46 presidential actions made up of four staff announcements, 26 executive orders, 12 memorandums, and four proclamations, several of which are already being challenged in court. Tuesday was just as eventful, with the highlights including a purge of Diversity Equity and Inclusive programs and a controversial pardon of Silk Road founder, Ross Ulbricht.

This nefarious modern take on the historic Han Dynasty trade route operated on the dark web and was launched in 2011, with development taking around six months. It utilized Tor software and bitcorn to maintain anonymity, which opened the door for illegal activity, and thus, the site became known as a place to buy and sell drugs. Ulbricht used the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts” from The Princess Bride.

Trump’s pardon fulfills a self-serving campaign promise he first made in May of 2024. He spoke at the Libertarian National Convention in an effort to woo voters and vowed to pardon Ulbricht. This was important to party members who believe that all drugs should be made legal and that Ulbricht’s conviction was a prime example of government overreach.

According to Trump, Ulbricht’s pardon is “full and unconditional,” and Trump appears to identify with the 40-year-old. “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,” the president explained in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Ulbricht was first arrested in 2013 and charged with seven counts, including selling narcotics and money laundering. During this trial, the prosecution argued that people died because of the drugs sold on the marketplace and presented testimony of two parents whose kids had died as evidence. “I strongly believe that my son would be here today if Silk Road had never existed,” dad Richard B. asserted. 

These testimonies, given right before sentencing, moved Ulbricht to tears. “I never wanted that to happen,” he stated. “I wish I could go back and convince myself to take a different path.”  The prosecution also brought up the lengths Ulbricht was willing to go to protect his empire, alleging that he sought out murder-for-hire for anyone who threatened the site, although none were ever carried out. The defense simultaneously argued that Ulbricht was simply the fall guy and not the mastermind behind the site.

Judge Katherine Forrest of Manhattan’s US district court for the southern district of New York gave Ulbricht the maximum sentence available on May 29, 2015. The five sentences handed down added up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In regards to the pardon, Trump called Ulbricht’s mother on Tuesday to deliver the news. The federal Bureau of Prisons records show Ulbricht was released that same day from the United States Penitentiary, Tucson. 

Brandon Sample, Ulbricht’s clemency attorney, celebrated this decision in a statement. “After enduring over a decade of incarceration, this decision offers Ross the opportunity to begin anew, to rebuild his life, and to contribute positively to society,” he explained. The same cannot be said for those who died as a result of his actions.


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