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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsPresident Donald Trump granted Ross William Ulbricht a full and unconditional pardon on January 21, 2025. Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road website, had been sentenced to life in prison in 2015 after a jury found him guilty on seven charges. Trump had pledged to commute Ulbricht’s sentence in 2024, but the signed warrant granted a pardon instead.
What did Trump’s pardon do?
The U.S. Department of Justice warrant, dated January 21, 2025, names Ulbricht and grants him a “Full and Unconditional Pardon” for the convictions listed in the document. That wording matters: the signed action was a pardon, not merely a release from prison or a commutation of his sentence. Read the official pardon warrant.
Why was Ross Ulbricht in prison?
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Silk Road operated from January 2011 to October 2013 as a hidden website intended to let users anonymously buy and sell illegal drugs and other unlawful goods and services. The office said a jury found Ulbricht guilty of all seven charges after a four-week trial, and he was sentenced to life in prison in 2015. These are the prosecution’s descriptions of the site and case. Read the DOJ sentencing announcement.
Did Trump pardon or commute Ulbricht’s sentence?
Trump’s pledge at the Libertarian National Convention in May 2024 was to commute Ulbricht’s sentence. A commutation reduces or ends a sentence; it does not itself erase the conviction. The January 2025 warrant instead granted a full and unconditional pardon. NPR reported on the earlier pledge and the pardon; the warrant states the final action. NPR’s report on the pardon.
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How did supporters respond?
The Associated Press reported that Libertarian activists had long argued investigators overreached in building the case, and quoted Libertarian National Committee Chair Angela McArdle describing Ulbricht’s release as an organizational priority. That documents the position of supporters; it is not evidence of a consensus among the public. Read the Associated Press report.
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