Ross Ulbricht’s prison sentence has not been commuted by President Donald Trump. This is a blow to advocates who hoped to see the infamous figure released in the near future.
Following a signing session at the Oval Office, Trump heads now to the Commander-in Chief Ball and Liberty Ball for celebrations.
Trump has not yet stated whether he intends to commute Ulbricht’s prison sentence or pardon him in the next few weeks. White House spokesperson didn’t immediately reply to Decrypt’s Request for comments
"If you vote for me, on day one, I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht," Trump Telling Attendees The 2024 Libertarian National Convention, held in May of last year, sparked renewed hopes for freedom for Silk Road’s founder.
Ulbricht now 40 responded to his gratitude in prison. "After 11 years in prison, it is hard to express how I feel at this moment," He Writer A picture of X thanking the supporters that kept his case going.
The promise made by President Trump was that he will “commute” Ulbricht’s sentence is different from a pardon. The commutation of a sentence reduces its severity while maintaining the conviction. It can also shorten the prison time.
Pardons go further than a commutation, granting forgiveness and effectively wiping out all criminal penalties. They also restore civil rights, but do not declare innocence. Clemency refers, instead, to the ability of officials in government that allows both pardons and commutations.
What is Ross Ulbricht all about?
Ulbricht is a former Eagle Scout, and a graduate in materials science. He founded Silk Road Marketplace in 2011. Silk Road, which he created at age 26, was an underground platform for anonymous transactions that used Bitcoin.
In October 2013, he was arrested at a San Francisco public library, where FBI agents seized his laptop while it was still connected to the site's administration panel.
Silk Road was the first darknet market to operate in modern times. It facilitated $1.2 billion worth of Bitcoin transactions prior to its closure and established new trends for online anonymity.
Ulbricht was sentenced to two lives plus forty years of imprisonment without parole after being convicted in 2015 on charges related to money laundering, hacking computers, and drug trafficking.
Ulbricht, who has spent over 10 years in prison, is a man of exemplary character. He tutors his fellow prisoners, teaches classes and collects over 150 testimonials from prison inmates in support of his release.
It has now become the focal point of debates about criminal justice reform, Internet freedom, and ethical issues in digital markets.
"I'll spend the next few decades in this cage. Then, sometime later this century, I'll grow old and die. I'll finally leave prison, but I'll be in a body bag," Ulbricht Tell them to get on with it Interviewer August 2021
His supporters argue that his sentence is excessive. They point to the fact that he has a clean criminal record and has shown remorse by helping his fellow prisoners. More than 150 prisoners, both current and ex-prisoners have signed letters urging clemency.
"I was trying to help us move toward a freer and more equitable world," Ulbricht The following are some of the ways to get in touch with each other In 2021, you can expect to be released from prison. "We all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and now here I am. I'm in hell."
Although prosecutors portrayed Ulbricht in a negative light, his supporters describe him as a libertarian idealist whose platform of non-violence reduced the risks associated with drug sales.
“I hope you get the freedom you deserve. Life imprisonment for what you did is absurd,” Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum Writer, in reply to a posting on X made by Ulbricht.
Sebastian Sinclair is the editor