The top line
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he had issued a pardon for Ross Albrecht, who was sentenced to life in prison nearly a decade ago for creating Silk Road, a website law enforcement called “everything” on the Internet. A more sophisticated and extensive criminal market than Known for selling illegal drugs.
Law enforcement said Ulbricht created a “highly sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace.” … [+]
Key facts
Albrecht, 40, a native of Austin, Texas, graduated from the University of Texas and Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in materials science. Website Raised by his family.
Albrecht developed a “deep interest” in libertarian philosophy and joined a libertarian club at Pennsylvania State University, his family said. Albrecht was “passionate about sharing the ideas of freedom, privacy and free markets.”
In 2011, Ulbricht—who used the moniker “Dread Pirate Roberts”—founded Silk Road, an anonymous e-commerce site on the Tor network that allowed users to hide their computer’s IP address and hide their locations. gave
Law enforcement Accused Ulbricht “knowingly” operated Silk Road as an “online criminal marketplace” and enabled users to trade illegal drugs anonymously.
At least six drug overdose deaths were allegedly linked to Silk Road, and Albrecht was accused of soliciting six murders for hire in connection with running the site, although prosecutors said That there is no evidence that these murders were committed.
Albrecht was arrested in 2013. Sentenced In 2015, he was sentenced to life in prison for drug distribution, drug distribution via the Internet, conspiracy to distribute drugs, engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to commit computer hacking, conspiracy to commit false traffic. are Identity documents and conspiracy to launder money.
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What is the Silk Road?
Silk Road was an online marketplace where more than 100,000 users traded illegal drugs and other illegal goods while laundering millions of dollars. According to To the Department of Justice. Sellers on the site were located in more than 10 countries, including the United States, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom and Spain, and as of Sept. 23, 2014, nearly 13,000 listings of controlled substances had been posted on the site, prosecutors said. Prosecutors estimate that more than $200 million was traded on the site before it was shut down after Albrecht’s arrest in 2013. As of November 3, 2020, more than $1 billion worth of digital currency has been seized by law enforcement agencies from the Silk Road. According to At the time of his arrest to the FBI, then-US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara accused Albrecht of being a “drug dealer and criminal profiteer who exploits people’s addictions.”
What do Ulbricht and his supporters say?
Albrecht’s family has demanded his release. #FreeRoss The movement, supported by libertarian voters and cryptocurrency advocates. Albrecht has denied involvement in illegal trade on the Silk Road. claim During his four-week trial he wanted to “empower people to make choices in their lives and to have privacy and anonymity.” Albrecht’s family has argued that prosecutors wrongly held him responsible for selling others on the Silk Road.
Why did Trump pardon Ross Albrecht?
Trump announced On Truth Social he pardoned Albrecht, who was being held in a maximum-security prison in Florence, Colorado, saying he was “the scumbag who worked to convict.” [Ulbricht]”They are the lunatics who were involved in weaponizing modern government against me,” Trump appeared to appeal to libertarian voters while to speak at the Libertarian National Convention in May 2024, saying he would pardon Albrecht “if you vote for me.” said Preston Byrne, a partner at the law firm Byrne & Storm Bloomberg Trump’s proposed pardon also likely appealed to crypto advocates who saw Silk Road as the first use of the decentralized cryptocurrency bitcoin.
Further reading
