Those murder-for-hire charges actually dissuaded the first Trump administration from pardoning Olbrecht. The White House considered releasing Ulbricht in 2020, but ultimately shelved the idea because of the alleged role of violence in the process, according to a former administration official involved in the process who spoke to WIRED on condition of anonymity. The case was rejected.
Since then, however, the Trump administration has changed its stance on Ulbricht’s case — in part, perhaps, to embrace the libertarian cryptocurrency community, for whom Ulbricht has become a prominent martyr and activist. At the Libertarian National Convention in Washington, D.C., last May, then-presidential candidate Trump promised to commute Ulbricht’s sentence “on day one” if re-elected. (In the end, the first day passed without any pardons for Ulbricht, even as Trump pardoned more than a thousand participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, although Trump ally Elon Musk promised X in a post on Monday evening. He said that “Ross will also be released.”
What role Ulbricht will play in the free world is not entirely clear. Even in his statements to the judge at his sentencing hearing in 2015, Ulbricht never fully acknowledged the harm he suffered from selling drugs on Silk Road. And according to Jared Der Yeghian, a former Homeland Security Investigations agent who infiltrated Silk Road during the investigation, Ulbricht has yet to express any remorse for his actions in his public posts at X.
“The idea of him going free doesn’t bother me in the least,” says Der-Yeghiayan, who now works as head of strategic intelligence at cryptocurrency tracking firm Chainalysis. If there is now a perception that he has done nothing wrong, I would be annoyed. which does not confirm the facts of the case.”
However, among some criminal justice reform advocates, Ulbricht has become an example of excessive punishment, especially given that he was technically charged with non-violent crimes. Ross has served more than enough time. He has been a model prisoner. He is a non-violent first time offender. He poses no safety risk to the community, Alice Johnson, CEO of the Action for Good Justice Reform Foundation, told WIRED in November. Johnson spent two decades in prison for attempted possession with intent to distribute before Trump commuted his life sentence in 2018 and pardoned him in 2020. Terrible words to return home.”
On Tuesday night, Ulbricht’s supporters celebrated his release and thanked Trump for pardoning him. “Words cannot express how grateful we are,” tweeted @Free_Ross, an X account dedicated to Ulbricht’s more than decade-long effort. President Trump is a man of his word and he just saved Ross’ life. Ross is a free man!!!!!”
Additional reporting by Joel Khalili
