Former President Donald Trump has pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road dark-web drug marketplace, after he served over a decade in prison. Ulbricht's release comes following years of advocacy from supporters who argue that the Silk Road was a libertarian experiment in free trade.
More than a decade after his arrest, Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road dark-web drug marketplace, is being pardoned by former President Donald Trump . Ulbricht, who operated under the pseudonym the Dread Pirate Roberts, was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 for charges related to narcotics distribution, money laundering, and computer hacking. His release comes after years of advocacy from the Free Ross movement, who argue that the Silk Road was a libertarian experiment in free trade.
Ulbricht's supporters maintain that he never directly sold or possessed drugs, but facilitated their sale through a website. They also point to the argument that by moving drug sales online, he reduced violence associated with the traditional drug trade. However, Ulbricht faced allegations of attempting to hire assassins to eliminate individuals posing a threat to him or the Silk Road. While these alleged murders-for-hire were ultimately revealed to be staged or scams, evidence presented at his trial linked him to these attempts. The Trump administration's initial stance against clemency for Ulbricht was partly due to these allegations of violence. However, the administration's position shifted, possibly influenced by its growing ties to the libertarian cryptocurrency community, which views Ulbricht as a martyr. During the 2020 Libertarian National Convention, Trump pledged to commute Ulbricht's sentence upon re-election. While this promise remained unfulfilled, Trump ultimately granted Ulbricht a full and unconditional pardon. The implications of Ulbricht's release remain unclear. Some, like Jared Der-Yeghiayan, a former Homeland Security agent involved in the Silk Road investigation, express little concern about his re-entry into society. However, Ulbricht's past actions and lack of remorse for the harm caused by the Silk Road raise questions about his future conduct and the potential impact on the cryptocurrency landscape
Crime Politics ROSS ULBRICHT SILK ROAD DONALD TRUMP PARDON DARK WEB CRYPTOCURRENCY LIBERTARIANISM DRUG TRAFFICKING
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