In his final days in office, US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering whether he should grant clemency to Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.
According to reports from The Daily Beast, Trump’s White House legal counsel is currently reviewing the case related to Ulbricht.
“…the president has at times privately expressed some sympathy for Ulbricht’s situation and has been considering his name, among others, for his next round of commutations and pardons before the Jan. 20 inauguration of his 2020 Democratic opponent.”
The Daily Beast says the motion to pardon Ulbricht has gained some traction within influential circles that include presidential advisers and criminal justice reform activists that are close with the president.
Ulbricht, a materials science engineer, founded the dark web marketplace Silk Road back in 2011 and operated under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Robert.”
Silk Road used Bitcoin as its main currency for dealing all manner of items including illicit drugs and weapons, and used Tor, an open-source anonymity software, to hide its servers, drawing the ire of the DEA, FBI and Homeland Security.
On October 1st 2013, law enforcement caught up with Ulbricht, and in 2015, Ulbricht was convicted with seven charges and two life sentences totaling 35 years without the possibility of parole.
Support for Ulbricht has only grown among Libertarians and cryptocurrency proponents who believe his sentence is too harsh.
Petitions for Ulbricht’s clemency have also popped up around the internet. The most notable petition, FreeRoss.org, has attracted 350,000 supporters so far.
Don't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get crypto email alerts delivered directly to your inboxCheck Price Action
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Telegram
Surf The Daily Hodl Mix
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any loses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.
Featured Image: Shutterstock/Ryan Rodrick Beiler
