Libertarian and crypto allies of Ross Ulbricht, who was serving a life sentence for distributing drugs on his Silk Road website, leveraged President Trump’s desire for political support to secure his release.

In a move that has sparked debate, President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road dark web marketplace, who had been serving two life sentences plus 40 years for enabling the illegal trade of drugs and other illicit goods.

Ulbricht, who used the nom de plume “Dread Pirate Roberts” to hide his identity, was sentenced in 2015 to life in prison.

Trump announces pardon for Ross Ulbricht

Donald Trump made another controversial decision. The new American president pardoned Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life imprisonment a decade ago. He is responsible, among other things, for creating the "Silk Road" service on the dark web,

President Trump made a surprising announcement, granting a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the infamous dark web marketplace Silk Road. Ulbricht, now 40 years old, was serving two life sentences plus 40 years for crimes tied to his operation of the online platform.