Investing.com -- U.S. President Donald Trump has granted a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road, an underground online marketplace known for illicit trade. Ulbricht, 40, was serving a life sentence for facilitating over $200 million in illegal transactions using bitcoin.
Ulbricht's arrest in 2013 and subsequent sentencing in 2015 marked a significant U.S. prosecution, coming just a few years after the advent of popular cryptocurrency. The Silk Road platform was a hotspot for drug dealers and others engaging in unlawful activities.
The presidential pardon, announced on Tuesday, fulfills a campaign promise made by the Republican president. In a statement on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump criticized those involved in Ulbricht's conviction. He referred to them as "the scum" and linked them to what he described as the "modern day weaponization of government" against him.
This pardon clears Ulbricht of his charges, making it both full and unconditional, according to President Trump's statement.
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