President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht on Tuesday.

The notorious darknet market is a global hub for illegal drug sales, and prosecutors say it has led to the deaths of at least six people.

Ulbricht, 40, has been serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole since being convicted in federal court in 2015. The seven charges include Distributing drugs and conspiring to commit computer hacking.

“I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the liberal movement that so strongly supports me, I am pleased to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon for her son Ross,” Trump wrote In a post from The Truth Society.

Silk Road, which operated from 2011 to 2013, was a marketplace where users bought and sold a variety of contraband, including illegal narcotics such as heroin. platform Driven over $200 million in salesaccording to federal prosecutors.

In its heyday, the Silk Road served as a global drug bazaar, with trade primarily in Bitcoin. This makes it one of the first large-scale applications of cryptocurrency.

Prosecutors later argued that the anonymity provided by Bitcoin helped Silk Road vendors conceal their identities.

In his pardon announcement Tuesday, Trump called federal prosecutors involved in Ulbricht’s case “scum” and linked them to his recent federal and state prosecutions. “He was sentenced to two life sentences plus 40 years in prison. Ridiculous!” Trump added.

In the digital currency community, Ulbricht is regarded as a visionary and a pioneer in the early adoption of Bitcoin. The “Free Ross” movement has gained momentum in recent years through rallies and online petitions.

This opened a window for Ulbricht when Trump decided to align himself with the cryptocurrency community during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Days after Trump was elected president last November, Ulbricht thanked “everyone who voted for President Trump on my behalf” in a statement. Post on X He dictated to his wife in prison.