Trump Pardons Tech Pioneer Who Was Arrested in Library's Sci-Fi Section, Given Two Life Sentences
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he has granted a full pardon to Bitcoin pioneer Ross Ulbricht.
Ulbricht, aka “Dread Pirate Roberts,” was convicted on narcotics charges in 2015 for operating Silk Road, a dark web site that enabled users “to buy and sell illegal drugs and other unlawful goods and services anonymously and beyond the reach of law enforcement,” according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement news release.
The New York Post reported that he was sentenced to two life terms in prison, plus 40 years, and ordered to turn over nearly $184 million.
Authorities had arrested Ulbricht in 2013 in the sci-fi section of his local library in San Francisco and he had been in prison ever since, according to The New York Times.
Preet Bharara, then-U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said following the conviction, “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.”
Ulbricht’s family and friends disputed that on a website called FreeRoss.
“He was never prosecuted for causing harm or bodily injury and no victim was named at trial,” the site proclaimed.
“Users of Silk Road chose to exchange a variety of goods, both legal and illegal, including drugs (most commonly small amounts of cannabis). Prohibited was anything involuntary that could harm a third party.
“Ross was not convicted of selling drugs or illegal items himself, but was held responsible for what others sold on the site.”
In announcing the 40-year-old’s pardon, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor 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.
“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. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!”
I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright to let her know that in honor 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. The scum that worked to convict him were…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 22, 2025
It’s not clear whether Trump was referring in part to Bharara, who was appointed a U.S. attorney by President Barack Obama.
Trump had pledged at the Libertarian Party Convention in Washington, D.C., in May that he would free Ulbricht from prison.
BREAKING: President Trump announces he is issuing a full and unconditional pardon for the Silk Road founder, Ross Ulbricht.
“I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it… pic.twitter.com/bHouP60F1G
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) January 22, 2025
Silk Road was one of the first venues that allowed customers to buy and sell goods in Bitcoin.
“For years, his supporters have argued that his sentence was overly punitive and adopted the slogan ‘Free Ross’ online and at industry gatherings,” the Times reported.
“It’s hard to argue that Ross Ulbricht wasn’t the most successful and influential entrepreneur of the early Bitcoin era,” Pete Rizzo, an editor at the news publication Bitcoin Magazine, told the Times. “This is the industry banding together and saying, ‘We’re going to reclaim our own.’”
BREAKING: Here’s the first image of Ross Ulbricht leaving prison as a free man 🧡 pic.twitter.com/j2vYeypmDs
— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) January 22, 2025
GOP Rep. Thomas Massie said Tuesday night following Trump’s pardon that he felt the Ulbright had been over-sentenced.
“I think [the DOJ] made an example out of him because they didn’t want people using bitcoin. Now it’s far more mainstream,” Massie said.
In an incredibly powerful moment tonight on IRL, Rep. Massie read a letter that Ross Ulbricht wrote him from prison. pic.twitter.com/3g687MkorZ
— The Redheaded libertarian (@TRHLofficial) January 22, 2025
The Ulbricht family posted a statement on the site FreeRoss.org, saying, “Our immense gratitude to President Trump for giving Ross a second chance and to all those who have supported us throughout the years. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!!!”
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