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Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the now-defunct dark web drug market formerly known as Silk Road, thanked President Donald Trump for freeing him and hinted at what he has planned for his future in a video released in social networks.
Ulbricht, who was known online by his dark web moniker, “Dread Pirate Roberts,” was arrested in 2013 for his part in developing an online marketplace that connected people who sell drugs and commit other illegal acts such as money laundering.
It is considered the first modern version of illegal darknet markets, which have become more common over the years. Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Ulbricht’s laptop, from which he did much of the site’s maintenance and creation, is preserved as an artifact by the fbi along with other items such as Ted Kaczynski’s cabin, DB Cooper’s plane ticket and parts of the World Trade Center.
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Supporters of Ross Ulbricht, the alleged creator and operator of the Silk Road underground marketplace, stand outside a Manhattan federal court on the first day of jury selection for his trial January 13, 2015 in New York City York. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Ulbricht said in a video to X thanking Trump his forgiveness that he hoped to “re-engage with the free world” in the near future. Ulbricht added that the action was a “victory” for all “those who love freedom and those who care about second chances.”
“It’s amazing to be free, to say the least. It’s overwhelming,” Ulbricht posted on his X account, which he has posted regularly from prison during the 11 years he was incarcerated. “For the next time we need, I’ll be with my family so we can be reunited and whole again and heal. But there’s a lot to talk about, and I’m really looking forward to getting back into the free world.” , so, once I sit down, we’ll talk again.
Lyn Ulbricht, mother of Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht, speaks to the media outside federal court in New York in 2015 after her son’s sentencing. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Let it be known that Donald Trump is a man of his word,” Ulbricht added during the roughly two-minute video. “Thank you so much President Trump for giving me this incredible blessing.”
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Ulbricht’s family campaigned for years for some form of release and also shared a statement after Trump’s pardon on the website FreeRoss.org.
“Our immense gratitude to President Trump to give Ross a second chance and all those who have supported us over the years. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!!!” he said.
Members of the Libertarian Party stand on chairs as they chant and call for the release of Ross Ulbricht during the party’s national convention at the Washington Hilton on May 25, 2024, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Trump said he called Ulbricht’s mother shortly after being sworn in to fulfill his campaign promise to free Ulbricht, who many believe received an unfairly harsh sentence for establishing Silk Road.
“I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement that supported me so strongly, I was pleased to sign a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross “. Trump told Truth Social earlier this week after his inauguration.
“The scum that worked to get him convicted were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the government’s modern weaponry against me. He got two life sentences plus 40 years. Ridiculous!”
