After being in jail for greater than 11 years for his involvement with the darknet market Silk Street, Ross Ulbricht seems to have wasted no time making public appearances.
In a March 4 X publish, Kentucky Consultant Thomas Massie mentioned he had invited Ulbricht to attend a joint session of the US Congress, at which President Donald Trump gave a speech on his administration’s insurance policies. The occasion marked one of many first occasions the Silk Street founder appeared in public since his launch from jail in January after receiving a presidential pardon from Trump.
Silk Street founder within the US Capitol. Supply: Ross Ulbricht
After leaving jail, Ulbricht recurrently posted to social media, thanking Trump and calling for clemency for “Bitcoin Jesus” Roger Ver, who faces tax evasion prices. Some speculated that the president may contemplate inviting Ulbricht to a March 7 crypto summit on the White Home. Nonetheless, on the time of publication, he didn’t seem to have been added to any official visitor record. Cointelegraph reached out to Ulbricht for remark however didn’t obtain a response on the time of publication.
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Ulbricht, who based the Silk Street market on the darkish net in 2011, had been in custody since his arrest in 2013 for permitting customers to purchase and promote unlawful medicine in addition to supply illegal items and companies. He was sentenced to life in jail with out the potential of parole in 2015, prompting a few of his supporters to petition for a presidential pardon — possible one of many solely methods Ulbricht may have been freed.
Are different presidential pardons forthcoming?
Trump didn’t pardon or commute Ulbricht’s sentence whereas in workplace from 2017 to 2021. Nonetheless, a New York Instances report recommended that the then-presidential candidate promised to commute the Silk Street founder’s sentence to appease libertarian voters within the 2024 election — although Trump received, it had been anticipated to be a really shut race with then-Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
President Trump has the authority to pardon or commute the sentence of anybody going through federal prices. Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, sentenced to 25 years in jail in 2024 for his function in misusing buyer funds, additionally gave the impression to be lobbying Trump for a pardon. His legal professionals have filed a movement to attraction his conviction and sentence.
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