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By Theo Burman and Yevgeny Kuklychev
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Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road dark website that facilitated sales of drugs and fake documents, has spoken out about his release from prison after being pardoned by President Donald Trump.
President Trump announced Tuesday that he has pardoned Ulbricht's two life sentences, calling his prison time "ridiculous."
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment on this story via email.
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Why It Matters
Ulbricht's sentence is one of hundreds that Donald Trump pledged to pardon upon his return to the White House, with over 1,500 people, including many protestors present at January 6, also receiving pardons.
What To Know
Ulbricht was sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years for operating Silk Road between 2011 and 2013, facilitating more than $200 million in transactions for illegal drugs, hacking services, and counterfeit documents.
He was arrested in 2013 and convicted in 2015 of multiple charges, including conspiracy to distribute narcotics and money laundering. The FBI seized $28 million of bitcoin cryptocurrency from Ulbricht, which is now worth about $18 billion after years-long surge in value.
Reacting to Trump's pardon, which was issued on Tuesday, Ulbricht said in a statement: "I was doing life without parole, and I was locked up for more than 11 years but [president Trump] let me out. I'm a free man now. So let it be known that Donald Trump is a man of his word.
"Thank you so much, President Trump, for giving me this amazing blessing. I am so, so grateful to have my life back, to have my future back, to have a second chance.
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"This is a victory and it's your victory, too. And this is an important moment for everybody, everywhere who loves freedom and who cares about second chances. It feels amazing to be free, to say the least. It's overwhelming."
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump said on social media platform Truth Social: "The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!"
Ulbricht's attorney, Brandon Sample, said in a statement on the pardon: "After enduring over a decade of incarceration, this decision offers Ross the opportunity to begin anew, to rebuild his life, and to contribute positively to society,"
What Happens Next
Donald Trump is expected to continue working on promises he made on presidential pardons as his first week as president draws to a close. Ulbricht has said that he intends to return home and spend time with his family.
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