Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned the creator of Silk Road, a dark-web marketplace where people sold heroin, cocaine, LSD, and other illicit drugs by using cryptocurrency to keep the transactions anonymous and avoid being caught by law enforcement.
Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned the creator of Silk Road, a dark-web marketplace where people sold heroin, cocaine, LSD, and other illicit drugs by using cryptocurrency to keep the transactions anonymous and avoid being caught by law enforcement.
Actually this is probably the least questionable pardon he’s dealt. There was strong evidence that Ulbricht didn’t engage in the violent crimes he was accused of (soliciting hitmen). Multiple FBI agents involved with his arrest were found to be extremely corrupt; stealing millions of dollars in bitcoin from him. Despite this, a “tough on crime” conservative judge still gave him life in prison.
The war on drugs is a 5 decade abject failure. The drugs won, and so-called “Liberals” need to stop promoting conservative failures, and treating non-violent drug use as anything but a public health issue.
OTOH, he did run what amounts to a illicit drug distribution ring, even if he didn’t distribute the drugs himself. So while the life sentence was excessive, I personally feel a full pardon is also excessive. The fairest thing would have been to commute his sentence, now that he has served (almost?) 10 years. That would have left the conviction in place, but also recognized that it is bonkers to put anyone away for life for a non-violent crime (especially when there is clear evidence that the FBI agents involved were crooks, too.)