President Donald Trump has decided to grant a full pardon to the founder of the infamous Silk Road website on the dark web, citing support for the Libertarian Movement. He criticized those who were involved in prosecuting the founder, referring to them as ‘scum’.

Ross Ulbricht, 40, was arrested in 2013 because the dark website he founded facilitated the sale of illicit drugs using cryptocurrency.

The founder, also known as ‘Dread Pirate Roberts’, was given two life sentences and an additional 40 years in prison in early 2015. This was due to charges related to drug trafficking, money laundering conspiracy, and computer hacking.

Despite the pardon, it is important to note that the individual in question was involved in illegal activities. The Manhattan U.S. Attorney commented during the sentencing that Ulbricht was a drug dealer who took advantage of people’s addictions, leading to the deaths of at least six individuals.

On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to commute Ulbricht’s sentence ‘on day one’ if he were re-elected, and garnered enormous support from the convicted criminal’s loved ones and fans. 

And while Ulbricht’s clemency was not one of the many tasks Trump completed on Monday, the President revealed on Tuesday evening that Ulbricht had been granted a ‘full and unconditional pardon.’

‘I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright (sic) to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,’ Trump revealed on TruthSocial. 

‘The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. 

‘He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!’

Prosecutors had described Silk Road as an unprecedented one-stop online shopping mall where the supply of drugs was virtually limitless.

At his 2015 sentencing, the judge cited six deaths from drugs bought on Ulbricht’s site and five people he tried to have killed. Ulbricht said at the time that he was a changed man.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ulbricht’s clemency lawyer said he maintained hope Trump would deliver on his promise to commute the sentence.

‘We do expect President Trump to grant clemency. The president, when a candidate, said that he would release Ross on his first day in office,’ he said.

‘We have no doubt the president will follow through on his commitment to release Ross. Ross, his family, and all his supporters are forever grateful to President Trump for his willingness to show mercy to Ross.’

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) had earlier sent a letter to Trump noting that Ulbricht’s sentence was ‘vastly disproportionate to his crimes’, adding ‘the worst drug sellers on the site received significantly more lenient sentences.’

Trump vowed at a rally with Libertarians in May that he would commute Ulbricht’s sentence, sparking cheers from an otherwise distrusting crowd.

Ulbricht shared an update on X the following day revealing he was aware of, and emboldened by, the commitment. 

‘Last night, Donald Trump pledged to commute my sentence on day 1, if reelected,’ he wrote. 

‘Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. After 11 years in prison, it is hard to express how I feel at this moment. It is thanks to your undying support that I may get a second chance.’ 

Ulbricht had previously maintained that he did not intend for his website to morph into what it ultimately became.

He never sold illicit substances himself, despite being convicted of drug trafficking. 

‘I was trying to help us move toward a freer and more equitable world,’ Ulbricht said from prison in 2021. 

‘We all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and now here I am. I’m in hell.’