As the world grapples with the implications of last week’s election, one man in particular has a lot at stake from the outcome of the new presidential administration. Ross Ulbricht, the 40-year-old creator of the infamous dark-web drug market Silk Road, has been in prison since 2013 and is hoping for a second chance at freedom under a Donald Trump presidency.
In a message shared through his wife’s account on X, Ulbricht expressed his gratitude to those who voted for Trump and his trust in the president-elect to honor his pledge to give him a second chance. Ulbricht’s conviction in 2015 on charges related to money laundering, computer hacking, and drug distribution resulted in a life sentence without the possibility of parole. However, at the Libertarian National Convention in May, Trump promised to commute Ulbricht’s sentence “on day one” if reelected.
Now that Trump has been reelected, Ulbricht and his supporters must wait at least nine weeks to see if the president-elect will follow through on his promise. While some, like actor and director Alex Winter, believe that Ulbricht’s sentence is unjust and he should be freed, they also have doubts about Trump’s commitment to his pledge.
Winter, who released a documentary about Ulbricht’s case in 2015, has corresponded with him over the years and believes that he has already served enough time in prison. However, he is not confident in Trump’s track record of keeping his promises and is anxious to see if he will grant Ulbricht clemency.
For over two years, Silk Road operated as a dark-web marketplace where buyers and sellers could trade in illegal goods and services using bitcoin to remain anonymous. Despite the controversy surrounding Silk Road and Ulbricht’s actions, Winter believes that his sentence is unjust and he should be given a chance at freedom. As the wait continues for Ulbricht and his supporters, the future remains uncertain and anxiety-provoking.
