Law enforcement said Ulbricht created the “most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace” on the internet.

In 2015, a federal judge in Manhattan sentenced Ulbricht to life in prison for drug trafficking, computer hacking and money laundering.

US President Donald Trump says he has signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht, who operated Silk Road, the dark web marketplace where illegal drugs were sold. Ulbricht was convicted in 2015 in New York in a narcotics and money-laundering conspiracy and sentenced to life in prison.

"Donald Trump is a man of his word," the Silk Road founder said in a video published on X hours after release from prison.

Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of online drug marketplace Silk Road who became a hero for America’s libertarian movement.

President Donald Trump Tuesday pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of dark-web drug marketplace Silk Road, 10 years into his life sentence for conspiracy to traffic narcotics, money laundering and other crimes.

In 2015, a 31-year-old yoga enthusiast from Austin named Ross Ulbricht was found guilty of being the online drug kingpin “Dread Pirate Roberts.” Convicted on 7 counts, the judge sentenced him to life in prison. Trump pardoned Ulbricht on Tuesday and now he’s a free man after more than 10 years in custody.

Fulfilling a campaign promise to libertarians and the bitcoin community, the Silk Road founder's life sentence without parole is now over.

President Donald Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the drug marketplace Silk Road who is revered by many cryptocurrency enthusiasts and Libertarians. “I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright to let her know,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, misspelling Ulbricht’s name.

The United States president pardoned the founder of the underground illicit drugs marketplace, as part of a raft of sweeping announcements during the first two days of his new administration.

Donald Trump granted me a full pardon. I was doing life without parole and I was locked up for more than 11 years. But he let me out. I'm a free man now. So let it be known that Donald Trump is a man of his word,