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Ross Ulbricht The crypto industry and Libertarians alike got their wish on day two, though, as Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht. Ulbricht, the founder of the notorious Silk Road marketplace, earned a sentence of double life in prison plus forty years after he was convicted on charges including narcotics distribution, money laundering, hacking, and trafficking in fraudulent identity documents. Prosecutors had also alleged that Ulbricht had attempted to commission the murders of at least five people who had reportedly threatened to expose his crimes, but after Ulbricht’s sentencing, those additional charges were no longer pursued. Trump was very clear in his announcement of the pardon that he had granted it as a thank you to the Libertarians, for whom it has been a top priority over the past decade or so. “I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,” he declared.11 This quid pro quo apparently won out over any interest from Trump in remaining consistent with his past, repeated statements that anyone convicted of drug crimes deserves death.12