President Donald Trump announced Tuesday the forgive of Ross Ulbricht, leader of the Silk Road online market.
In a social media post on Truth Social, Trump said he had granted Ulbricht a “full and absolute pardon,” citing help from the Libertarian activity and criticizing the government’s management of Ulbricht’s situation.
Ulbricht, 40, was convicted in 2015 on charges including conspiracy to customers narcotics and money fraud in connection with the Silk Road, a blockchain page that facilitated billions of dollars in illegal drug purchases.
He received a sentence of two life terms plus 40 years without parole, sparking years of debate over the fairness of his punishment.
” The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics involved in the modern-day weaponization of government against me,” Trump wrote.
The pardon is expected to draw sharp reactions from both supporters and critics.
Advocates for Ulbricht have long argued his sentence was excessive, while opponents highlight the scale of criminal activity linked to the Silk Road.
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