The family of Ross Ulbricht, who created Silk Road, a dark web marketplace best known for selling illegal drugs and other illicit goods, announced on social media platform X (Twitter) that he is “getting out of prison in January.”
An emotional post by Ulbricht’s family thanked former President Donald Trump, who just a few months ago pledged to “Free Ross” if he became president again. This announcement is a significant moment in Ulbricht’s story, after sentencing him to multiple life sentences for his role as the operator of the Silk Road and more than 11 years behind bars.
The Case Against Ross Ulbricht
Ulbricht’s case has gained considerable attention in the context of criminal justice reform and digital freedoms. He was arrested in 2013 and later received two life sentences without parole, plus 40 years, for conspiracy to traffic narcotics, computer hacking, and money laundering.
He was convicted for founding and operating Silk Road, a dark web marketplace that allowed users to anonymously buy mainly illegal drugs. Silk Road peaked at seven figures, with the site racking up $13 million in commissions (in Bitcoin) which Ulbricht skimmed 10% for each transaction. The anonymity and reach of Silk Road made it a prime target for law enforcement, culminating in the 2013 closure of the platform along with Ulbricht’s arrest.
Ulbricht has served ten years of his life sentence, and while he lost another appeal on the merits of his case in late 2022, his family has been pursuing a compassionate release for him since 2020. They argue that the punishment is excessive relative to others faced by people involved in similar darknet markets.
Public interest in the “Free Ross” movement has been high over the years, especially among privacy advocates, libertarians, and cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Supporters have said Silk Road was illegal, of course, but that Ulbricht’s severe punishment is beyond the norm in such cases. Ulbricht has become a symbol of over-punishment in the digital crime age, to many.
Donald Trump’s Promise to Free Ross
This story made headlines earlier in the year when Donald Trump came out advocating for Ulbricht’s freedom. In a Truth Social post, Trump promised to “save” Ulbricht as part of his general commitment to criminal justice reform.
Ulbricht’s family credits Trump for leading to the recent decision that allowed Ulbricht to spend what they hope is his last Thanksgiving behind bars this month.
Almost immediately after the Silk Road took its last breaths, however, the details about how the FBI seized the assets in Silk Road have been pretty sticky since then. Ulbricht had 144,000 bitcoins at the time he was convicted, which were worth $28.5 million at the time (over $10 billion today).
However, the FEDS took those assets, with some stolen on the way. More bizarre stories followed later, however, investigations suggested that some of the seized bitcoins were intercepted by a hacker before federal agents could secure them all, and North Korean hackers reportedly also snaffled a slice.
In addition to Silk Road, Ulbricht’s case has also sparked larger debates around digital privacy and the need for regulation of online marketplaces, as well as questions about sentencing guidelines in cases without a clear violent component.
The announcement from his family has reopened these debates, with those defending him noting that his punishment is still excessive based on comparisons to similar cases—even ones without non-violent crime. Ulbricht supporters say he has already served time, and critics argue Ulbricht was aware he was facilitating crime.