Drug marketplace founder Ross Ulbricht speaks on Trump pardon

Silk Road laminitis acknowledgment US president for ‘amazing blessing’ successful video connection aft his merchandise from prison.

Ross Ulbricht, the dark-web marketplace laminitis pardoned by United States President Donald Trump, has spoken astir his merchandise from situation for the archetypal time.

Ulbricht, 40, was sentenced to 2 beingness sentences, positive 40 years, successful 2015 for moving Silk Road, an illicit online marketplace that US prosecutors said facilitated $183m successful cause income utilizing Bitcoin.

Trump connected Tuesday issued Ulbricht a afloat and unconditional pardon, fulfilling a run committedness to libertarians and cryptocurrency enthusiasts who had lobbied for his release.

In a video connection posted connected X connected Friday, Ulbricht expressed his gratitude to Trump for granting him clemency.

“I was doing beingness without parole, and I was locked up for much than 11 years but helium fto maine out. I’m a escaped antheral now. So fto it beryllium known that Donald Trump is simply a antheral of his word,” helium said.

“Thank you truthful much, President Trump, for giving maine this astonishing blessing. I americium so, truthful grateful to person my beingness back, to person my aboriginal back, to person a 2nd chance.”

Ulbricht said helium planned to walk clip with his household but would person much to accidental successful the future.

“This is simply a triumph and it’s your victory, too. And this is an important infinitesimal for everybody, everyplace who loves state and who cares astir 2nd chances,” helium said.

“It feels astonishing to beryllium free, to accidental the least. It’s overwhelming.”

pic.twitter.com/pbqRh9spnk

— Ross Ulbricht (@RealRossU) January 24, 2025

Ulbricht’s lawsuit had been held up arsenic an illustration of authorities overreach by libertarians and crypto supporters, who argued that helium had been unfairly prosecuted for transactions made by different radical and that his punishment did not acceptable the crime.

Ulbricht’s lawyers besides argued that though helium had created the site, helium handed disconnected power to others aft conscionable a fewer months and had been lured backmost arsenic a autumn feline conscionable arsenic authorities were closing in.

Announcing his pardon, Trump branded Ulbricht’s punishment “ridiculous” and said those liable for his prosecution were immoderate of the “same lunatics who were progressive successful the modern-day weaponisation of authorities against me”.

US prosecutors formed Ulbricht arsenic a transgression mastermind driven by a tendency for wealth and power, and alleged that drugs sold connected his tract had caused the deaths of six people.

Prosecutors besides alleged that Ulbricht had solicited the murders of radical helium viewed arsenic threats to his operation, though helium was not convicted of immoderate specified transgression and nary grounds was presented that anyone had really been killed.

While immoderate Republicans known for espousing libertarian views hailed Trump’s pardon, the determination drew condemnation from a fig of Democratic legislators.

“Pardoning cause trafficking kingpins is simply a slap successful the look to the families who’ve mislaid loved ones to his crimes,” Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto said successful a station connected X.

“Donald Trump should person to explicate to them however immoderate of this makes America safer. It’s an outrage.”