Former President Donald Trump promised to commute the sentence of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht – if Libertarians vote for him, of course. Tim Pool had revealed on X earlier in the evening that Trump planned to announce the deal during his speech to the Libertarian Party National Convention in the nation’s capital tonight, May 25, a story Liberty Nation verified independently through high-level sources inside the Libertarian Party. In a deal said to be brokered by party chair Angela McArdle, Trump agreed to commute the sentence to time served should he win the presidential election this year, freeing Ulbricht, but not clearing his name or his criminal record.
“And if you vote for me, on day one, I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht,” Trump said after promising to also pardon the January 6 prisoners. “He’s served 11 years. We need to get him home,” he continued.
Free Ross Ulbricht?
Ross Ulbricht founded the Silk Road marketplace in 2011. Through the use of Bitcoin as currency and Tor encryption, Ulbricht or “Dread Pirate Roberts,” as he called himself online, built a black market that became wildly successful. It was akin to an eBay for illegal drugs, complete with vendor ratings and escrow protection. This anonymity made the Silk Road resistant to attempts by law enforcement to shut it down, but federal agents were eventually able to break the site security, leading to Ulbricht’s discovery and arrest.
Ross Ulbricht, a libertarian, was eventually sentenced to double life plus 40 years without parole – all for non-violent offenses. His continued incarceration has been a rallying call for Libertarians, many of whom displayed “Free Ross” signs at the convention on Saturday.
