President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht, the founder of anonymous marketplace site Silk Road, which the president promised to do on “Day 1” of his campaign.
“I just called Ross William Wolbri’s mother.”[c]”In honor of her and the Libertarian movement that has supported me so strongly, I want to say that I am pleased to sign a full and unconditional pardon for her son Ross,” President Trump said on social media Tuesday. stated in a media post. “The scumbags who worked to convict him were the same lunatics responsible for weaponizing modern governments against me. He was sentenced to two life sentences and 40 years in prison. .That’s ridiculous!
Ulbricht was found guilty of using his website, which was launched in 2011 and used cryptocurrency for payment, to sell illegal drugs, even though he did not sell illegal drugs. received.
In May, President Trump, trying to win over Libertarian voters, spoke at the Libertarian National Convention to boos from a hostile crowd. Libertarians believe that government investigators overreached in the Silk Road scandal and generally oppose the war on drugs.
President Trump fails to fulfill his ‘day one’ promise to pardon Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht
People hold signs supporting imprisoned darknet marketplace Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht as former President Donald Trump attends the Libertarian Party’s national convention in Washington, DC, on May 25, 2024. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
Attendees were unfavorable to Trump for much of the event, but cheered loudly when the president said he would commute Ulbricht’s sentence until the end of his sentence, hoping the presidential candidate would take action if elected. and the crowd chanted, “Free Ross!” This is to allow the founder of the Silk Road to return home to his family after being in prison for more than a decade.
“If you vote for me, on day one I will commute Ross Ulbricht’s sentence to prison. He has already served 11 years. We are going to bring him home,” Trump said. spoke to the crowd. They held placards that read “Free Ross.”
Ulbricht responded to Trump’s comments on social media platform X the next day.
Trump pardons almost all 1/6 defendants
Members of the Libertarian Party chant and demand the release of Ross Ulbricht while seated at the party’s national convention at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, on May 25, 2024. (Getty Images)
“Last night, Donald Trump promised to commute his sentence on day one if re-elected,” he wrote. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. After 11 years in prison, it’s hard to express how I feel right now. It’s because of your continued support that I’m getting a second chance.”
“As my final monthly resolution for 2024, I will study every day and prepare for freedom as quickly as possible,” Ulbricht wrote last month.
Mr. Trump later reiterated his promise to commute Mr. Ulbricht’s life sentence at a Bitcoin conference, drawing loud cheers.
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President Trump failed to follow through on his promise to free Ulbricht on his first day in office, but he followed through on his second day.
Ulbricht, now 40, ran the website from 2011 until his arrest in 2013. Two years later he was sentenced to life in prison.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and @GregWehner on Twitter.
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