Silk Road Creator Ross Ulbricht Is Waiting for Trump to Keep His Word—and Set Him Free

At sentencing, the justice was besides permitted to instrumentality nether information the murder-for-hire allegations, contempt them ne'er having been charged astatine trial. “Until the Supreme Court rules otherwise, applicable but uncharged crimes of this benignant tin beryllium and are regularly considered by judges,” says Richman.

Ulbricht has ne'er afloat acknowledged the harm inflicted by the Silk Road’s immense income of drugs that included heroin and different opiates, and helium inactive shows small remorse for his actions successful his nationalist posts to Twitter, argues Jared Der-Yeghiayan, a erstwhile Homeland Security Investigations cause who infiltrated the Silk Road undercover arsenic portion of the lawsuit against Ulbricht.

“The thought of him being released doesn’t fuss maine successful the least,” says Der-Yeghiayan, who present works arsenic the caput of strategical quality astatine cryptocurrency tracing steadfast Chainalysis. “I bash get bothered if there’s present a cognition that helium did thing wrong, that doesn’t admit the facts of the case.”

Given that Ulbricht has already spent 11 years successful jail, though, the question remains whether that wrongdoing deserves a beingness of imprisonment. While Ulbricht’s harsh condemnation mightiness beryllium valid successful a strictly method sense, says Leeza Garber, a lecturer successful instrumentality astatine The Wharton School astatine the University of Pennsylvania, successful knotty cases similar this, ineligible questions cannot beryllium neatly isolated from ethical and governmental ones.

“Just due to the fact that thing is reasonable, that doesn’t mean that it’s right,” says Garber. “We person specified analyzable and conflicting views connected the warfare connected drugs and usage of situation successful this country. Mix that with the thought that this transgression occurred partially successful cyberspace and it becomes highly messy. It’s hard to reckon with this confluence of issues.”

Some advocates for situation reform, a fig of whom enactment Ulbricht’s petition for clemency, judge sentencing rules request to change. They deliberation the accent should beryllium connected rehabilitation arsenic opposed to retribution—and that parole should beryllium reintroduced to the national transgression system. They anticipation that Ulbricht’s merchandise could enactment arsenic a catalyst.

“Ross has served much than capable time. He has been a exemplary prisoner. He’s a first-time, non-violent offender. He poses zero information hazard to the community,” says Alice Johnson, CEO of justness betterment instauration Taking Action For Good, who spent 2 decades successful situation herself for cause trafficking earlier her beingness condemnation was commuted by Trump successful 2018. “I judge that Ross’s lawsuit is going to pave the mode for galore others who person been unjustly fixed these draconian sentences to travel home.”