Ross Ulbricht, 40, was released from prison after being pardoned by President Donald Trump, ending his 11-year incarceration for creating Silk Road, an online marketplace that prosecutors claimed facilitated $183 million in drug sales using Bitcoin.
Sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years in 2015, Ulbricht expressed gratitude in a video message posted on X. “I was doing life without parole… I’m a free man now. So let it be known that Donald Trump is a man of his word,” he stated.
Ulbricht described the pardon as a “victory for everybody who loves freedom and who cares about second chances,” and indicated plans to spend time with his family.
Libertarians and cryptocurrency supporters had long argued that Ulbricht’s punishment was disproportionate. His lawyers contended that he had handed off site control after a few months and was potentially used as a scapegoat when authorities investigated Silk Road.
Trump described Ulbricht’s original sentencing as “ridiculous” and linked the prosecution to what he called the “weaponization of government.”
US prosecutors portrayed Ulbricht as a criminal mastermind, alleging the site facilitated drug sales that potentially caused six deaths. They also claimed Ulbricht solicited murders of perceived threats, though he was never convicted of these charges and no evidence confirmed any killings.
The pardon drew mixed reactions. Some Republicans celebrated the decision, while Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto condemned it, stating, “Pardoning drug trafficking kingpins is a slap in the face to the families who’ve lost loved ones to his crimes.”
Ulbricht concluded his message by emphasizing his overwhelming feeling of freedom and gratitude for his second chance.
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